Knight of the Moon
by Richer1992
Summary: Nightmare Moon has return and Equestria is plunged into everlasting night. However, the big question is who is that knight covered in blue armor and why is he following Nightmare Moon. G4, Rated T for blood and vilonce, starts episode 1.
1. Chapter 1

**So…yeah as just like almost one-fourth of the entire Internet population, I have gotten the pony bug. Yep this is in fact a fan-fiction based on the G4 MLP FIM series. I have had this thing stuck in my head for a while now and it has been causing me to slack in my other work so I figure do it now and get it out of my head. It might also help me get back in my writing mood since no one appears to want to review my other story that I am currently working on. Yeah sorry for the long intro but let gets started. Oh yeah one more thing…ahem…my name is Richer1992 and I am now a brony. Deal with it.**

Celebration Crasher

"I have an even more essential task for you to complete…make some friends." Celestia said to herself as she finished writing the letter that she would send to her student. She had sent a letter a few minutes ago stating her findings about the Elements of Harmony and the existence of the fallen pony Nightmare Moon. Just thinking about that pony caused the esteemed princess to give pause and remember the times long ago before the rise of Nightmare Moon and her subsequent banishment and her assuming the role of raising the moon in addition to the sun. She took on that burden with a mixture of regret and duty and for 1000 years she has kept the secret about Nightmare Moon's real identity from her other subjects. Not even her most loyal advisors in her inner circle knew the truth. However, the time of her banishment was almost over and she hoped that her student would find the strength needed to succeed.

She rolled up the letter with her magic and sent it back to her student without so much as batting an eyelash. As being one of two pegasus unicorns in existence, she was blessed with an enormous supply of magical power and as such was able to do spells that may cause a normal unicorn to struggle with relative ease. It was also to be considered that the centuries spent ruling over her kingdom in addition to all of the free time she had allowed her to continue to practice the arcane arts.

Celestia gave a tired sigh as she shifted the pillows she was lying under. She was in her personal study, a room that was as large as her bedroom and where she would store all of her books on magic and other topics she might fancy at the time. There was also a fireplace located that would provide warmth to the sun princess whenever she needed it. A bed was also placed in the room in case Celestia was engrossed in a new book or reading over her student's latest report and decided to spend the night there. She has used the room so much that she considers it her real bedroom more than the lavishly furnished one located in her quarters. The room was also charmed so that all notes sent by her student would end up in the room which the reason behind was a simple one.

Again, the princess gave another tired sigh and looked out the window that was in the room. She could see that her sun was approaching midday and it would be almost time for her guards to let her know that her lunch was ready. More times than not, she desired that she be allow to go to the market and buy her own food so she could make her own lunch but as being the ruler of Equestria, she had to give up some of her freedoms to enjoy living in a grand castle and being able to make decision for her subjects. Still…it would have been a lot more enjoyable if they were still around.

The rouge thought entered her mind without even realizing it. She could remember the first time they played together in the royal gardens. She could remember the laughs, the jokes, and the time when he tripped on a tree root and landed face first into some mud. Those were better times as the last thing she thought of was the promise that the three made underneath the apple tree.

The promise made between herself, her younger sister and…

_CRASH_

Celestia only had time to duck as the door to her study was literally kicked right off of it hinges. The door landed in the fireplace and was smashed into many pieces. She quickly turned around to face whoever it was that caused the damaged but the moment she saw the intruder, her heart sank and her body froze up in shock.

She could see the lit hallway was covered with the limp bodies of her guards. The only pony still standing and the one giving her the shock was an earth pony of about medium height, about the same height as any one of her other guards, completely incased in a midnight blue armor. The only thing visible was the black iris of his eyes which from what Celestia saw were burning as hot as the sun itself.

The blue armor pony stepped into room and said in a cold voice "It is time Princess." That stamen was followed by the dreaded hissing sound of a sword being removed from a well-oiled scabbard.

_Summer Sun Celebration, Ponyville._

The ponies gather around the main chamber of the pavilion to witness the rise of the sun as was tradition. Some pegasus ponies used their wings to get a better angle and all were brimming with excitement and joy.

All…except for one unicorn pony.

She was feeling a twinge of nervousness as she waited for the celebration to begin. Her mind was split between hoping that the myth about the Mare in the Moon was false and her fear of what will happen if it came to pass. Not even the outburst caused by the strange pink earth pony called Pinkie Pie was enough to alleviate her worries.

As the Mayor of Ponyville got onto the lower stage and began addressing the crowd, the unicorn pony took a glance at the moon that was now visible in a large window nearby. She saw the four stares that had been slowly making their way towards the moon finally arrive and it was at that moment that the mare shaped design on the moon suddenly disappeared.

She felt her fears start to grow as the Mayor finished off her speech by introducing the ruler of Equestria and the unicorn's personal teacher, Princess Celestia. The white unicorn fashion designer who the purplish gray unicorn remembers is named Rarity pulled down on the curtain to reveal whoever was behind it.

However, it was not what the unicorn expected or for that matter what anypony expected.

There was a pony behind the curtain. The pony was about medium height but the unicorn felt a strange aura surrounding the stranger. The pony was covered in dark, almost midnight blue armor so it was hard to tell what the pony really looked like. The unicorn also noticed a sheath strapped on the pony's back with the hilt appearing to come from on top of the pony's left front shoulder.

The pony started to walk until it was able to overlook the railing. Everyone could see the black iris's that seemed to burn with intense fire.

"What did you do to our Princess!" the rainbow-mane pegasus pony called Rainbow Dash declared and charged at the strange figure. However, she was stopped by the orange colored earth pony named Applejack.

The earth pony knight slowly looked over the crowd; his eyes causing most of them to flinch or turn their gaze away. His eyes lingered on the purplish-grey pony for a few moments before moving on. The purplish-grey pony had a strange feeling that he was either looking for something or judging the ponies present.

It was then that the pony in midnight blue armor said in a rather deep voice "Your Princess…is dead."

The statement, said in such a formal and direct way that it would almost be foolish to call the pony a liar, stunned those present in the pavilion. All eyes were directed onto the knight with a mixture of both fear and confusion. However, it was the purplish-grey unicorn who was the first to break the trance. She knew better than most ponies that Celestia was considered one of if not the strongest pony alive in terms of magical strength. What chance did a simple earth pony knight have against her?

Slowly, the other ponies started to reach the same conclusion as the unicorn and their eyes were now telling the knight that they believe the knight to be lying. Indeed, a few of them even gave a small chuckle at the fear they once had about the statement made by the strange knight.

However, the knight in midnight blue armor expected this to happen. Without speaking, the pony reached into the bag that was strapped on the sides and started to dig through the contents. In a casual like fashion, the knight grabbed an item in the bag and tossed it into the air. The ponies watched as this strange item flew in the air for a few minutes before hitting the ground. It started to roll along the floor until it stopped right on the hooves of the pinkish-grey unicorn. The unicorn looked down and her face lost all color to it. Even the infant dragon riding on her back also let out a gasp of shock and surprise. The other ponies quickly moved to look at the strange item and they too let out a gasp of fright, shock or fear.

For lying there on the ground was none other than Princess Celestia's royal crown. The biggest difference was that the crown was dyed with splotches of dried crack red blood.

It was then that a high pitched laughter broke the tension that was heavy in the pavilion. All the ponies looked up at the source and saw that the knight now had another pony beside it. This pony was much larger in size and power given the fact that it was also a pegasus unicorn. However, this one had green cat-like eyes that appear to pierce your soul. Her body was deep purple in color and she wore blue pieces of armor though they were a slightly lighter color then the blue worn by the knight. Her mane and tail whipped around in an almost violent matter and it was glowing with the night sky.

As the other ponies stared in wonder at the new pony, only one knew the identity of the new player in this tragedy. The purplish-grey unicorn said in a voice that was almost as quiet as the voice of the yellow pegasus pony named Fluttershy "oh no Nightmare Moon."

**Hope you enjoy that opening.**

**Read and Review Please**

**Richer1992**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here we go with chapter number two.**

The Report

Nightmare Moon laughed. She laughed at the freedom she now had and she laughed as she imagined all her planes finally coming together. Yes after 1000 years stuck on that piece of rock, she was finally going to prove to everypony that her nights are just as important and beautiful as her older sister's days.

Speaking of her older sister, she looked off to her side and saw the knight in midnight blue armor standing next to her. The sight of her faithful retainer their caused the smile on her face to grow. She knew that if he was their then that would mean…

Her thought trailed off as she looked around for the proved of the dead. It was not long before she spotted the bloodstain crown lying in front of the unicorn.

Her grin was prominent as she could not believe her luck this night. Her knight managed to kill her older sister, their by preventing that sun princess from using the Elements of Harmony against her. He survived the encounter and brought back a trophy of the dead. Yes, she was very lucky to have such a loyal and powerful knight under her belt. However, it was about time for stage two of her takeover to begin.

Nightmare Moon returned her attention back on the crowd and began issuing her declaration. She started addressing the crowd in the way a normal monarch would but after she realized that nopony even so much as remember her caused a vein to snap in her. Though the knight could feel the anger building in her, he was surprised to find that she retained her cool and never raised her voice.

It was then that the purplish-grey pony decided to challenge back. She claimed to have seen this coming and to go even so far as to declare Nightmare Moon by name. The knight gave a small grunt of surprise and said in a soft tone so that only Nightmare Moon was able to hear "Well…well somepony actually did their homework." Nightmare Moon gave a small chuckle to that and challenged the purplish-grey unicorn. When she lost her confidence did Nightmare Moon declared to all the ponies of her ultimate goal…everlasting night.

The ponies gasped in shocked as the mane and tail of Nightmare Moon started to form a tunnel of energy. The knight remained impassive, clearly showing no signs of being affected by the rampaging amount of magic being unleashed. He did however; hear the Mayor of this town ordering the guards that were stationed there to seize us.

Fast as the wind, the knight grabbed onto the hilt of his sword with his mouth and drew the blade. The hiss noise was muffled by the ranging storm but it was not long before ponies started to notice the knight. He gave his blade one horizontal swing and three bolts of lightning seemed to arch out of the storm and slam into the three guards that were attacking. The knight returned the sword back into the sheath in was looked like one fluid motion.

Nightmare Moon again laughed at her luck before changing into a cloud of lunar energy and blasting through the door. The knight was less the flashy as all he did was raise his front hooves up before slamming them down on the ground. Upon impact, a cloud of black smoke appeared around the knight and when it was clear, he was gone.

Later in the night as the ponies returned to their homes and hoped that what had transpired was merely an illusion or a dream; six ponies congregated in the public library to discuses events. A plan was formed in the temporary home of the purplish-grey unicorn. The plan, which involved repeating history and finding the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon, was to be accomplish by the six ponies themselves which thanks to a reference book in the library gained some more knowledge about the said mystical items. What they did not know at the time was that right outside one of the windows of the library; the mysterious midnight blue knight was listing in on their conversation. His face was masked by the face armor he wore but his eyes glisten with the same burning fire. Looking closely, you could almost swear to see a small flash of hope forming within the inferno.

The knight gave a small, quiet grunt and disappeared again into the night.

_Castle Ruin-Everfree Forest_

Nightmare Moon stared out at the night sky, her mind miles away from her body. It was moments like these, her time spent in banishment that would give her moment of pause a grief. She knew that deep down inside of herself, there was always that light side of her whose one wish was to be loved just as much as her older sister. If that had happen all those years ago, things might have been different and she, that is to say Nightmare Moon, may not have come to existence. However, that was not the way things turn out and the ponies decided in their minds to reveal and play in the bright days her older sister brought and ignore and sleep through the beautiful nights she made. It was such a sad fall she thought. All that Nightmare Moon and she wanted was for ponies all across the kingdom to stop one night and enjoy the starry skies that she brought. Was that such a crime? Did she really have to spend 1000 years stranded on her own domain with the only company being the stars, planets, and the one knight who was loyal enough to follow her in banishment?

Nightmare Moon again sighed as she thought about that knight. She was of mixed feelings about that loyal knight. On one side she was angry at him for breaking his vow of silence but on the other hand she was grateful that he decided to spend this banishment with her. Indeed, the other knights under her command refused to join her and she cursed at their disloyalty. Not that one knight though…not that one knight who went through all the pain and suffering she had to endure those long years. She wonders if she had been too hard on him but he never has shown any kind or retaliation to the treatment he had received. Did he believe himself deserving of that treatment? Was it a way to punish himself for breaking his vow of silence? Nightmare Moon never asked him.

She never cared.

It was then that a small blast sounded behind her and she re-gathered her thoughts. She turned around and saw the knight that she was just thinking about bowing in the center of the room. He had his right foreleg bent over and his head was dropped really low. Nightmare Moon gave a small smile as she rather enjoyed the formality that her knight was still using for her. Truthfully, he was suppose to have appeared in the room before and then walked into the audience chamber after being admitted by the guards but circumstances the way things are, she let it slide.

"My lady." He said in a deep formal tone and Nightmare Moon found it to be a pleasant reminder of memories long ago though she never told her knight that.

"You have the report." She said in which he replied with a definite yes. The room was silent for a few minutes while Nightmare awaited the report to come but it never did. She quickly realized the word play he was playing at and found it to be of an annoyance to her. However, deep down, she secretly enjoyed the mild banter he would play on her.

"Well…tell me what you have learned then." She said in a final tone that left no question in the knight's mind that the word play was over. He got up from his bow and stood up tall and straight like a statue. He cleared his throat before saying "The major cities of Manehatten, Hoofington, and several other are in a state of panic." Nightmare Moon nodded to herself as she had expected this. "The unicorns of Canterlot are attempting to combine their magical abilities in an effort to raise the sun but they will be met with no success." Again, Nightmare Moon expected this to happen. She had to also wonder what would compel those unicorns to attempt to perform a task that is only reserved for those of royal blood but she had more pressing things to worry about then pony psychology. "Most of the smaller villages are in the same state as the large cities but due to their size, they have been kept under control." Nightmare Moon was enjoying this and was opening her mouth to congratulate her knight when he said

"However, there is one village that has shown signs or resistance."

She closed her mouth and stared at her knight in a piercing gaze. To other, they would have coward from it but the knight has since gotten used to it and is not frighten by it. Besides, why should he worry? He was not the one resisting the regime change, it was the village.

Nightmare Moon then said "What do you mean resisting?" The knight simply replied "Six ponies from the village of Ponyville have met and formed a hastily, un-equipped counter strike force and is now heading towards the Everfree Forest and this castle. Also…" the knight paused for a moment to braced himself for what was coming and said "They also seek the Elements of Harmony."

_Smack!_

The knight was sent flying into the air caused by the force of the tail that Nightmare Moon shot at him. He crashed into the wall and lie there, prone as if he was dead. The ruler of Night waited for a few minutes before he started to get up, struggling a bit more than usual. She felt the worm of regret about doing that to him but it was just that every time she heard that name, she would lash out in anger.

The knight seemed to bear no retaliation to the strike and just continued to stand like a statue. He watched as Nightmare Moon started to pace back and forth, her mind clearly focused on the counter strike force approaching. She looked back at her knight and said "What is the group made of." To which he replied "two earth ponies, two pegasus ponies, and two unicorn ponies. Although one of the two unicorns seems to have an unusual amount of magical energy, none of them show any real danger."

Nightmare Moon nodded to herself and said "They will need to be taken care of." the knight replied "Should I handle it my lady?" But Nightmare Moon was already shaking her head and replied "No…I will handle this personally." With I small bang and a flash of light, Nightmare Moon transformed into a wisp of lunar energy and sped off towards the forest.

The knight waited for a few minutes before making his way towards the center of the room again. Once there, he reached over to the piece of armor covering his right foreleg and touched the crescent moon symbol. A white light glowed and when it disappeared, the face armor was gone.

The knight gave a tired sigh and settled down onto the hard, cold stone. He once again wished for a bed to sleep in for once but it was a luxury that was going to have to wait. He then reached into his bag and pulled out a quill, an ink bottle, and a piece of parchment. He arranged the items so that they were in easy reached and then said to himself "Okay…now how do I do this again." His voice was sounding a lot lighter than before without the effects of the face armor vibrating his voice. His then opened his eyes and channeled some energy into his left foreleg. His foreleg started to glow and it was not long before the magical energy formed into what appeared to be claws at where his hoof was located. He then drew back and swiped at the air in front of him. As he was clawing the air, it started to part ways and the magical energy seemed to form that of an image. The knight then placed his left foreleg on what might have been the center of the screen and the claws marks started to merge together to form a whole.

On the screen, he saw the six ponies from Ponyville already inside the forest, he could see the nervous expression on all of them but he hoped that they had courage.

He then used his magical energy to lift the quill and dip it into the ink. He then wrote out on the piece of paper six items in the fashion of a list. Those items were

Honesty

Laughter

Loyalty

Generosity

Kindness

Sixth Element

Once that was done, he looked back at the screen and said in a quiet tone "I hope your right."

**It seems that this knight has a lot more secrets then I let on last chapter. I wonder if you all are dying to learn more about him. Sorry if the description sounds bad, I tried my best but sometimes I have a hard time coming up with the right words. Anyhow… as always…**

**Read and Review Please**

**Richer1992**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is chapter three. I am going to try writing this in first person…pony whatever and see if that is any better. The view will be that of the knight.**

The List

A cold blast of wind brushed past my exposed face causing me to shudder for a moment. Though I was accustomed to the cold of the night, it felt a lot colder than usual given the season. I wonder if nature itself is reacting to the disruption of the flow of day and night and is now seeking a way to return itself to equilibrium.

I shook my head of the distracting thought and focused back on the screen. I watched as the six ponies stopped along the side of the cliff. I saw the pegasus pony with the rainbow mane attempt to frighten some of the other ponies in the group. Weeks of training in situations that involve entering possibly hostile areas were flowing back into my mind. I told myself that if I was leading the group, I would not have stopped along a cliff. I would also have discouraged the kind of behavior the pegasus pony was displaying as such actions would cause group morale to waiver.

It was then that the cliff suddenly collapsed on itself. While the two pegasus ponies were able to avoid sliding down it, the others were not so lucky. I notice the wisp of lunar energy of the corner of my eyes and concluded that it was Nightmare Moon's doing.

The two pegasus ponies flew down and managed to save the pink earth pony and the white unicorn pony. The orange earth pony managed to find a root that was exposed and used that to stop her sliding. However, the purplish-gray unicorn slid all the way down to the edge of the cliff and was holding on for dear life. The orange earth pony saw this and let go of the root in order to help the unicorn.

I watched as the orange pony struggled to pull up the unicorn. I felt compelled to help them but I had to remember my duties and I was ordered by Nightmare Moon to stay here. I still remember the last time I disobeyed an order from her.

It was then that the orange pony told the unicorn to let go. At first, I was confused by this and wondered why she would even suggest something like that. The unicorn seemed to agree with me and was on the verge of panicking which would be very bad in the situation that they were in. However, the orange earth pony reassured her that she would be safe and the unicorn apparently trusted her more than her own judgment and let go.

I watched as the unicorn screamed as she plummeted to the ground. However, she was save by the two pegasus ponies and after a minor hiccup involving one of the pegasus being unused to carrying a full grown pony, was brought safely to the ground.

As the orange earth pony was hopping down the side of the cliff, I used my magic to write the name of the earth pony next to the word Honesty. Prior to the arrival of Nightmare Moon, I managed to track down Celestia's prized student to ascertain her treat level and to see if the Princess had any plans. I managed to locate her in Ponyville and was able to follow her movements while she was checking up on preparations for the celebration. As a result, I had learned of her name and the names of the other five ponies that were traveling with her.

The orange earth pony who I now knew represented the spirit of Honesty was named Applejack.

I looked over the list and nodded to myself. It was going to be tedious work just sitting on my butt while I watch these six ponies walking towards where the Elements of Harmony are located and as a side note to where I am located.

I focused back on the screen and watched as the six ponies continued to walk. The rainbow mane colored pegasus pony was busy describing the rescue to the purplish-grey unicorn. From the look of her face, I could tell that she was not that well interested.

It was at that moment that a creature entered the screen. It was blocking out so much of the area that I had to expand the view in order to get the full idea. What I saw made me both worried and envious.

It was a manticore, one of the guardians of the Great Tree located in the Everfree Forest. Though I felt myself being urged to go off and help the six ponies as was based on my knight's training, I forced myself to remain put. However, my mind could not grasp the reason on why the manticore was even attacking. I remember it being a tamed creature and it was only supposed to attack if it was attacked first or if the Great Tree was threaten. Something must have caused it to go berserk as it charged at the six ponies.

It first did a pouncing strike on the white unicorn who managed to dodge the attack and counter with a swift buck kick to his face. However, the hit was only a glancing blow and it only served to enrage the manticore. His roar managed to mess up the white unicorn's hair and caused her to retreat.

The manticore charged again but was stopped when Applejack landed on his back. She then started to ride him like a bucking bull and without something to really hold onto, it was not long before she was bucked off.

As she flew off, the rainbow-mare colored pony decided to try her luck and started flying around the manticore at an impressive speed in an attempt to confuse him. However, the manticore was able to get his senses in order and flick off the pegasus pony. She was landed back where the others ponies were located.

The pegasus pony gets up and they stared down the manticore. I could see that they were preparing to charge at him and from the looks of it, he knew it was coming and was getting himself ready. The five ponies charged at the manticore and I braced myself for the start of round two.

"WAIT!"

The yellow pegasus, who I just realized I have been overlooking, blocked the path between the other ponies and the manticore. I could see that everyone there was confused and indeed I felt a little bit of confusion myself. It was then that the yellow pegasus walked up to the manticore. He rose up his right paw, preparing to swipe at the pony when she started talking in a calm tone.

I watched as the manticore lowered his paw. I saw that his face was one of hurt and sadness. He flipped over his left paw to reveal the source of his distress, a simple black thorn. At least that is what the yellow pegasus pony saw but to me I could see the dark energies that only resonated from Nightmare Moon. I realized that she was the one who put this manticore in a state of rage.

Very gingerly, the yellow pegasus pony removed the thorn. Although the manticore let out a roar of pain which caused the other ponies to freak out, their fears were quickly dissipated when the manticore returned to his normal timid self. He started licking the yellow pegasus as his way of thanking her for relieving him of the pain he was feeling and the pony was more than happy to receive the gratitude. The other ponies used this opportunity to pass the manticore and continued on. Only the purplish-gray unicorn held back to wait for the yellow pegasus. She asked about how the pony knew about the thorn and she merely reply that she didn't and that all she did was show some kindness.

I used my magic to lift up the quill and dip it in the ink. I then scratch out the name of the yellow pegasus pony who I now believe is the carrier of the spirit of Kindness. The name written on the list was Fluttershy.

The six ponies continued on through the Forest, going deeper than most ponies have ever gone. They eventually entered a thickest of trees that was so dense that it blocked out the moon's rays. I could feel the panic start to grow on the six ponies and also the familiar energy of Nightmare Moon. I knew she was about to make her next move.

The babbling of talking continued until Applejack stepped in some mud. As she was looking at the muck on her hooves with a mixture of distaste and regret, Fluttershy let out a squeal of fear. I was confused as to what the source was until I saw the source.

The trees started to glow a strange color and a menacing face was clearly visible on each of the trees. The five ponies started backing up, the fear evident in both their faces and body language. They then screamed at the top of their lungs which caused a worm of regret to form in my heart. However, that was the least of my worries as my mind realized something. Wasn't their six ponies? I looked closely at the five huddling in the circle and tried to see who was missing. I saw Applejack, Fluttershy, the purplish-gray unicorn, the white unicorn and the rainbow-mane colored pegasus. My mind tried to remember the six and wondered if she got lost in the thickest. It was around that moment that I heard a strange noise, a noise I least expected in this situation.

"Is that…laughter?" I thought to myself. I moved my screen around and I saw the sixth pony, the pink earth pony, literally laughing at one of the tree faces. I was not the only one confused as the purplish-gray unicorn also expressed her confusion. Rather than give a straight answer, the pink earth pony decided to explain in the form of song.

I listen to the music, thinking that the pink earth pony was just a few apples short of a basket. Those thoughts were quickly forgotten when I watched the pink earth pony encourage the other five ponies to join in laughter. Their combined efforts managed to cause all of the tree faces to disappear, returning the thickest back to its normal form.

As the six ponies were getting all the laughs out of them, I tried to force myself to not let out a chuckle of amusement as I wrote down the name of the pink earth pony, whose name as fitting as her description Pinkie Pie, next to the word Laughter to indicate that I knew that she was the spirit of laughter.

I looked back up at the screen just in time to see the six ponies making it to one of the rivers that flows through the Everfree Forest. While the rivers were mostly calm during this time of year, I was surprise to find that this one was acting rather violent. The others ponies and myself were confused as to why this was and it was not long before the sound of crying managed to penetrate the sound of the crashing water. The six ponies made their way to another clearing where they met another resident of the Everfree Forest, the sea serpent.

I saw that the cause of the rushing water was in fact all the splashing the sea serpent was doing. As I watched the ponies try to figure out the reason why the sea serpent was acting this way, I was also trying to figure out the problem. I was unable to see any cuts or bruises on it so the torment was not a physical wound. "Maybe it is a lack of self-esteem." I thought to myself.

It was then that sea serpent complained about how a wisp of black smoke (I quickly assumed that it was Nightmare Moon) flew by slashed off half of his mustache. I was stunned that the only reason he was trashing around was because he lost some facial hair. I was not alone in this train of thought as the other ponies were thinking along the same line, especially after they got completely soaked by his flailing.

All…but one pony apparently.

It was then that the white unicorn stepped out of the line and came up to the serpent who head was now resting on the shore. She started complementing the sea serpent's rather overbearing attention to the way his scales sparkled, his mane shined and even his freshly clipped fingernails. She then went back to the point of the mustache and furthers goes by declaring that she could not leave a crime against fashion go uncorrected.

She then reached out towards the sea serpent and pulled off one of his scales. As the sea serpent recoiled with the wound, the white unicorn raised the scale into the air and slashed down. I heard a tearing sound and I actually thought that the white unicorn killed the sea serpent. I quickly looked over at the serpent and I notice that there was no blood flowing and that all he did was faint. I then looked back over to the white unicorn and what I saw actually surprised me for a moment.

Her tail, which seemed to curl on its own, was cut off leaving only a short mangled tail left. The white unicorn threw the scale away and used her magic to fit her tail that she cut off onto the remains of the sea serpent's right mustache. The sea serpent was now overjoyed as the restoration of his mustache and I saw that the river was now calm. The other ponies were in shock at the white unicorn's actions but she merely replied that short tails were the latest fashion and that it will grow back.

As the six ponies crossed the river with the help of the sea serpent, I put down the name of the white unicorn Rarity next to the element of Generosity. I then gave a small smile to myself as I realized that there were only two elements left and two ponies left in the team. If things worked out…well I decided to not get my hopes up yet. I still had no idea about the sixth element and part of me was wondering if it even exists.

I returned my attention back to the screen and saw that they were now in sight of the castle. It took all of my willpower to not freak out and see if they were able to see me. I could tell from the screen that there was no indication of my presence so I was safe for the moment. I returned my attention back on the six ponies to see that they were trying to figure out how to get across the gap since the bridge was out. Luckily, it did not take the rainbow-mane colored pegasus to figure out the simple plan of just flying down and tying off the bridge to complete it. When she landed on the other side, a mist appeared and started to circle around her. At the same time, a voice was echoing from the mist soft and alluring.

The rainbow-mane colored pegasus was showing signs of resistance and challenge and it was not long before the source of the voice was revealed. Out of the mist came three pegasus ponies, two males who remained stone silent and a female who had been the one speaking. She introduce them as the fake group of flyers known as the Shadowbolts and declared their goal of being the greatest aerial team in Equestria. She then went on to say that the only way they can achieve this is by recruiting a captain and they had selected the rainbow-mane colored pegasus.

I could see her face light up with joy as she was promised her dream. I was shocked at how quickly she agreed to this but then surprised me again when she added that she needed to finish the bridge before sealing the deal. The female was quick to inform the rainbow-mane colored pegasus that there was no middle ground. She had to pick one or the other.

I notice that she now appeared less excited about this deal. The purplish-gray unicorn notice the dilemma and saw what was going on. Before she had a chance to talk to the rainbow-mane colored pegasus, the mist quickly moved in and obscured her view.

I watched as the rainbow-mane colored pegasus thought over the options she had. I quickly realized that I was actually tensed up and actually wanting to know what she decided. So I came as a complete surprise when she had chosen the Shadowbolts. The female Shadowbolts looked pretty pleased with herself but before she could rejoice in her victory, the rainbow-mane colored pegasus pulls a fast one and decided to choose her friends. She tied off the bridge and flew back to the side of the cliff where her friends are. I watched as the Shadowbolts morphed back into the lunar wisp that was Nightmare Moon and flew back to the castle.

I quickly closed the screen and got back on my hooves. I pressed the symbol on my right shoulder armor piece and I felt the weight of my face armor return. However, before Nightmare Moon came back, I quickly wrote down the name of the pegasus pony Rainbow Dash next to her element identity which was in fact Loyalty.

I felt Nightmare Moon approaching and while a part of me was preparing itself for the worst, another part was wondering if the last pony would be the wielder of the sixth element.

**Let me know if this is alright or if I should go back to how I was doing it before.**

**Read and Review Please**

**Richer1992**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is chapter number four.**

Restoration

Nightmare Moon materialized in her usual spot. I could see the anger in her eyes as she spent the first few minutes lifting and throwing stone blocks with her magic in an effort to release that anger. Some of the stone block almost landed on me but the frustration was making her aim seriously weak.

After a few minutes of the continued rant, she looks at me and said "I want you to go and guard the main chamber for as long as you can. I need time to destroy the Elements of Harmony." Not one to question her orders, I bowed my head and made my way towards the spiral staircase. Before descending, I removed my traveling pack from my back so that the only thing I was carrying was my sword.

As I descended down the stairs, I could feel my heart increasing in tempo. I realized that we were now close on the climax, the turning point in which whatever happens here and now will not only decided the fate of our lives but that of Equestria. I could almost see the two forks in the road, one of them shinning in the sunlight and the other shrouded in the moon's glow.

Sun or moon, day or night, hope or despair. My head was swarming with these words that they almost caused me to trip and fall on the stairs. I shook my head and tried to get my mind back on the here and now. I needed to remain focus if my plans were going too succeeded. I just hope that it will be enough.

It was then that I realized that I had finally made it to the audience chamber. The chamber was once used to host the various parties that would be celebrated before the capitol was moved to Canterlot for security purposes. The black stone walls seemed to blend in with the midnight light. Some of the columns were still standing but they were worn out and looked like they were about to collapse.

I looked around and saw that the only other entrance that was still available was the one on the opposite side of the room. Thinking that this was a good place as any to hold out, I removed my sheath that was tied to my back and placed it on the ground in front of me. I then maneuvered my tail so that it was gripping onto the hilt, which will allow me to draw my sword quickly in case I needed to. My tail was a light brown color and it looked like that the only thing I used to keep it short was my own sword. However, it was still long enough that it would allow me free use of my blade while holding it by the tail so it doesn't accidently slash my own back while I was performing a complex attack. Due to the nature of this style, some knights referred to this as a reverse grip which I agree to be the correct term.

The only other form I was proficient in was the standard forward grip which was holding the sword by my mouth. The forward grip was considered the common form used by all knights back in my days and I had a strange wondering if it was still in practice.

It was around that moment that I felt the usual magical energy of Nightmare Moon. Judging from my senses, I assumed that she was located in the entrance hall. Which would have made sense since that was where the Elements of Harmony were on display.

Not for the first time did I wonder why Nightmare Moon did not do away with the Elements the moment we made shop here. I had assumed that she wanted to find some way to harness their powers but I knew that a being of such evil would not be able to use them. The real question was if she knew that as well.

Not that it matter anymore. Nightmare Moon was making her way back to the audience chamber which the five stone orbs. So it was a surprise when I felt the presence of another life in the teleportation energy. I wonder who or what was crazy enough to actually jump into the swirling vortex that represented Nightmare Moon teleportation. Only a powerful creature had any hope of surviving.

It was around that time that a flash of bright white light shined from the throne chamber. I took a quick glance to see if it had anything to do with me. I allow my mind to relax so I could sense what was going on up there. I was surprise to find the purplish-gray unicorn was in the room with Nightmare Moon. I first wondered how she had gotten past me but I then remembered the teleportation that Nightmare Moon did and the unicorn must have jumped into it. I was a little impressed by that unicorn. If anything, she is a stubborn one.

I then heard the sounds of hooves drumming on stone. I turned my head back to the entrance waited for whoever was brave…or foolish enough to just charge up here with so much noise. I had a vague idea as to who it was and sure enough I was right.

It was the five other ponies who joined the purplish-gray unicorn. I saw that their faces were showing a wide range of emotions. I was able to see the worry they had towards their friends, the evident fear of coming face to face with me, and there was also the momentary shock and surprise most ponies have of meeting someone they did not expect. However, I was also able to see the courage that the five ponies had. I could tell that they were willing to risk fighting a knight who killed a goddess just go get to their friend. In another time and in another place, I would have honored them for that courage and determination.

Too bad it was not that time or place.

The five ponies decided to all come at me at once. It was a sound plan as it capitalized on the fact that they had the majority in numbers. However, what I lacked in numbers, I made up for it in skill.

When they got within five feet of me, I raised up my right hoof. They all stopped their charged and I noticed that their knees were bent slightly, the usual sign of a pony preparing for what was to come. I gave another tired sigh and said in a quiet tone "I was ordered to defend this place for as long as I could."

The five ponies did not move. I was a little surprised that they did not pick up on my meaning. To them, it might have sounded like I was declaring my intentions. I chuckled to myself as I thought about the rather weird way my mind works in terms of how ponies speak.

I moved my tail so it was no longer hovering over my hilt by rather it was now grabbing the whole sword and sheath. I then got up from my sitting position and moved off to the side of the entrance way. I then said "Let it be known that I have done so."

The five ponies were indeed surprised by this turn of events. However, it was not long before they caught the meaning of what I had said and raced for the entrance. I watched them go pass me and I did not raise a single hoof against them. The truth was that I was tired of all this, tired of being treated like a bad pony. All I want is…

"Why did you do this?" Applejack asked. I was surprised that she was still here. I glanced at the entrance and saw that the other four were waiting for her. I looked back at her and said "This way…we all get what we want."

I could tell that she was puzzled by this but encouragement from her friends forced her to abandon the subject. I watched as she rejoined with her friends before continuing up the stairs and out of my sight.

Though the armor hid it, a small smile was forming on my face. I never really had anything to smile about but for some reason, I just felt like smiling. I felt that destiny fork pass a while ago and I believe in my heart that we were now walking on the path of the sun. The only doubt that I had was the punishment that I would receive for my insubordination. No matter how you look at it, I had betrayed my lady two times now and such an action would usually mean death.

However, I was not afraid of death. I have done what I believe to be the just and honorable actions and that was enough for me. It was like my father had said long ago, a knight is no longer a knight when he no longer feels honor in his heart. Well…I still had honor inside of me and that was good enough.

I decided that I had given the five ponies enough time to reach their friend. Picking up my sword and sheath, I retied them on my back and made my way up the stairs. I was being slow and careful as to avoid making too much noise.

As I was climbing up, I managed to catch some vague words or two. From what I could hear, it sounded like the purplish-gray unicorn had cracked the secret to the Elements of Harmony. I felt a quick surge of pride as I slightly quicken my pace in hopes of seeing the final conclusion to this long nightmare. I gave a small laugh at the pun.

I reached the top just as I heard the purplish-gray unicorn shout "…the sixth element, The Element of…Magic."

I then saw a burst of light as the floating fragments that were originally the physical manifestation of the Elements combined to form necklaces on the five ponies I let pass. The final Element, and the only fully intact one, merged with the purplish-gray unicorn and form a tiara. The room then got incredibly bright in which the only thing I saw was a blast of pure rainbow energy and the frantic screams of Nightmare Moon. I felt her trying to resist but like before, she just did not have the power to resist the might of the Elements of Harmony.

When the lights finally disappeared, I looked out at the remains of the battle. I saw the six ponies that now represented the spirits of harmony lying together near the entrance where I was at. I made my way over towards them and checked their vitals to find that they were still alive, just wiped out from using too much energy. I then looked off to where Nightmare Moon was located and I felt my heart soar to the stars themselves.

There passed out on the floor next to the remains of her old armor was none other than Princess Luna. I felt my entire being urging me to rush over to make sure she was alright but I remembered that I had one last thing I needed to take care of.

I focused my magic and brought out my quill and my list. I looked down at the last item left, the one that was titled "Sixth Element", and I quickly put a line through it. I then wrote down an new word under it which spelled the word "Magic" I then moved the quill to the right of that word and wrote down the name of the purplish-gray unicorn who despite all the odds, managed to defeat such and evil and not only free the Princess of the Moon but also myself. Her name, which I knew before had become Celestia's prized pupil, was Twilight Sparkle.

I looked over my list at each of the pony's names and each of the elements that they represented. I was not sure how Princess Celestia knew about this or if she even predicted this outcome. Did the actions I have taken amounted to anything?

I brushed those thoughts out of my mind. Such darkening thoughts were ill-fated at a moment like this. I should be feeling happy at my salivation and proud of the six who sacrificed so much to achieve such goals…goals even I didn't think I was capable of. I gave a silent request to King Time and asked that he would fill these ponies' days with nothing but good times and happiness.

With that taken care of, I took a deep breath and made my way over to the collapse Princess. My only thoughts on how the sixth wielders of Harmony were going to react to the real me. As I walked, I could already feel the spells Nightmare Moon place on me started to fade out.

**I really hope you all are enjoying this story. It really brightens my day when I read your reviews. I don't feel bad about any constructive criticism just as long as it stays like that. I should have done this in chapter one but better late than never.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT under any circumstances have any holdings on the G4 My Little Pony and any cannon characters. Those all belong to Hasbro. I only own the Mysterious Knight who, Spoilers, will be named next chapter.**

**As always, Read and Review Please**

**Richer1992**


	5. Chapter 5

**Let's get started with chapter five.**

Answers, Celebration, and a New Mission

I had finally reached the prone position of Princess Luna. I had to first navigate around some of the smaller pieces of her broken armor to avoid getting cuts on the soles of my hooves.

Once I had reached her, I proceeded to look over her body for any sort of wounds. I was a little surprised that she retained her original form and wondered if her body will eventually catch up with the time. I remained passive in my search as I learned a long time ago a rather handy little spell that blocks out the hormones that could ravage a teenage colt or filly. Though there were limits, the spell combined with the intense training of knight school made it easy for me to block those urges.

I gave a breath of relief when I found that there were no serious injuries present on the Princess of the Moon. I did however, find a minor cut that was across her chest and I assumed it might have come from when the armor of Nightmare Moon was being ripped off of her. Still, the cut was rather light and it was only bleeding a little so it would be a simple matter of just cleaning the wound and bandaging it up.

I used my magic to bring my pack over to where I was at. I removed the straps holding my sheath on my back and used some more magic to place it on the ground; it would come into use later.

I then reached into my pack and pulled out some fresh bandages and a small vial. The vial contained a greenish mixture inside and it had a red plus sign on it. I opened the vial and used my magic to maneuver the liquid and lightly covered the outside of the scratch. I saw Luna recoil from the stinging that she was feeling and I said in a soft voice "Relax, this is going to help stop any infections that might enter your body."

Now, you might be wondering how a knight like me even knows how to do first aid. The answer is a rather simple one. Back when I was in training, all knights were expected to take and pass a basic first aid class. Some knights took their training father and ended up getting jobs as medics or doctors. However, I had at least a basic knowledge of treating various types of cuts and bruises and some sickness. The idea behind this was to limit the amount of deaths on the battlefield by giving the knight the knowledge of being able to perform first aid on himself or a comrade.

The liquid that I put on Luna was a type of salve that I got from a rather helpful potion brewer in a far away land while I was spending the first five years of my knighthood gaining some firsthand experience.

I shook my head of these distracting thoughts and instead focused back on my work. It was moments like these where I found myself lost in whatever task I was working on and was almost oblivious to what was going on around me. In fact, it took me a good five minutes before my mind registered the fact that it was now morning.

After I had finished placing the salve, I picked up the bandages with my magic and started wrapping it around Luna's body. I only did two wraps as the wound was not that bad and the only use the bandages were going to have been preventing more blood from dripping out and to apply pressure to the affected area. I would estimate that it would take at most two days before the wound heals over and Luna can remove the bandages.

Once I had finished the wrapping, I drew my sword and cut off the extra. I then placed my sword down and pulled out some tape that was designed for medical purposes. I pulled out a small amount and once again cut off the rest with my sword. I then used my magic to tighten the bandages to make sure they were doing their job before sealing them in place with the tape.

Once I was finished, I took a breath of relief and looked at my work. The bandages looked secure and the salve should be in full effect by now. It won't be long before Luna wakes up and I can hopefully explain to her what has happen.

I then finally notice the sound of hooves landing on stone. Acting more on instinct, I quickly spun around so I was facing the treat while at the same time grabbing my sword with my tail and raising it to my attack position. I was not surprised at who I saw approaching us.

It was the Princess of the Sun herself Celestia.

She was standing tall and proud and had an almost regal aura surrounding her. While it might have been enough to cause most knights to back down, it was not enough for me. I continue to stare at her as she was staring at me. Her eyes glanced up at my sword for a moment before looking back at me.

She then said "Knight…stand down." It sounded like an order in my ears and I felt my body moving to comply with that order. However, a realization hit me…I was not under Celestia's direct command like the rest of her guards so I have no reason to follow her orders. With that thought in mind, I continued to hold my place, determine to not let Celestia get to Luna in her state.

Celestia was a bit surprised by my continued resistance but she quickly came to the same conclusion that I did as far as I could tell. She was now just standing where she was at, obviously waiting for her younger sister to wake up. I took the moment to take a glance at the spirits of Harmony and saw that all of them seemed surprised that not only was I defying the Princess of the Sun, I had a weapon drawn.

However, there was a problem that was quickly becoming an issue. Wither I agreed to it or not, Nightmare Moon used her own magical energies to augment my own abilities. The changes were minor in some cases but there was one thing I had that was running on her energy and it was about to give way.

It was in fact the armor I was wearing. I could feel the tension of the armor as it started to undergo rapid failure. I was at least glad that the failure would not go catastrophic or else I would have been out of here faster than the blink of an eye.

I then heard the first crack of the armor giving way. The cracked appeared right on the back armor piece. Before I had a chance to study it more, another one appear followed quickly by another. The cracking noises became louder and louder as they started to spider-web all across the armor pieces. Celestia and the Elements of Harmony watch as the cracks continued to make their way around my armor. The surprise was evident on their faces.

It was then that the first piece of my armor finally gave way and broke off. It fell to the floor and landed with a soft clack. What then happen was that the armor disappeared into a small cloud of lunar energy. I never said that my armor was made in any sort of blacksmith. No blacksmith could create armor that both function as protection and a body enhancer. Only powerful magic and ore are capable of such armor.

The pieces continued to fall one by one, as if the armor wanted to un-wrap the creature it was hiding and put it on display like a present. The pieces started out small but it was not long before they grew in size. Soon, the witnesses were able to see the patches of fur poking their way out of the metal casing. Five minutes later, the whole armor set just collapsed on itself before disappearing in a massive cloud of lunar energy. When the lunar energy flew away, the Elements of Harmony and the Princess of the Sun finally got to see the pony behind the midnight blue armor.

What they saw was a male earth pony whose physical features placed him at around twenty to twenty-five years old. His coat was a sky blue color that was a complete contrast to the midnight blue armor he was wearing just a few moments ago. Where they once only saw black iris that burned like wildfire, they now saw that his eyes were also blue in color. His tail, which was the only thing visible while he was wearing the armor, was a brown color in addition to his hair which looked liked it had suffered from a serious case of helmet hair.

I gave a small smile as they looked me over. I wondered what was going through their minds at the moment. I had a feeling it was the surprise that what they imagined I would looked like without the armor was less scary then they originally thought. Still, armor or not, I was still not going to let Celestia near Luna until after she was awake. I had great respect for the Princess of the Sun, don't get me wrong, but my duties are tied to the Princess of the Moon and I knew that if she was not awake, then nopony would see her not even the Princess of the Sun. I was glad that she understood this so we continued our waiting game as the morning sun continued to rise.

It was not long before I heard a sudden increase in breathing coming from behind me. I took a look behind me and watched as Luna slowly got up. She felt the bandages that I had wrapped around her and she looked a little dazed. Her eyes glazed around the room, looking at the spirits of Harmony, to Celestia, to myself and finally to the sword that was still pointing at Celestia. Even in her state, she was able to recognize trouble.

She slowly got up to her feet and said in a quiet voice "That will be enough…Moonsaber."

My eyes widen in shock at being address by name. I was so use to just being called "knight" that I had almost forgotten my real name. The fact that Luna was able to remember only confirmed the fact that this was Luna finally free from her darkness. That and the fact if your lord or lady addresses you by name, it was considered a high honor when I was learning to be a knight. Most of the time we were not expected to even be address by those of a higher standard. All they cared about was that we would keep them safe and act as fancy servants or something along those lines.

So it was not a big surprise that my reply became a bit stammered "My…my lady, I" However, I was cut off by a wave of Luna's hoof and she said "And that will be enough of 'my lady'. Princess is fine by me, Moonsaber."

Again, she used my name and I felt a sudden swelling of pride. For so long, I felt like a failure and Nightmare Moon made sure I would not forget. I could now finally hold my head in pride. I quickly made sure to deflate that pride myself and I replied "Yes…Princess." I had to admit that it felt weird saying that after calling her 'my lady' for so long.

Princess Luna smiled and she said "Now…would you be so kind as to allow me to see my sister?" It sounded like a question but I took it like an order. I gave a quick nod of my head and used my magic to retie my sheath back on my back. I then re-sheath my sword and stepped out of the way to allow Luna to reunite with her older sister. During the motion of me stepping out, Celestia and the spirits of Harmony were able to see my cutie mark in plain light. What they saw was a sword pointing about 20 degrees to the left. Upon closer look, they would have notice that instead of a normal cross guard, there was a crescent moon.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna walk towards each other. I was unable to hear what they were saying but whatever happened caused Luna to break her royal demeanor and hug her sister. I could see the tears of joy falling off both her and Celestia's faces and I could not help but give a small smile. I looked over at the spirits of Harmony and I saw that they were also happy about the outcome.

I let their moment of reunion last for about four or five minutes before I came up to them and said "I hate to break up the reunion Princesses, but I would feel a lot better if we did not have to spend another night here. Without Nightmare Moon, the nocturnal beasts are sure to swarm this place and they could prove bothersome." They looked at me and nodded their heads at the same time. Luna then said "Alright then Moonsaber, if you will lead the way." I bowed my head and started to make my way to the entrance, putting my pack back on with my magic. I eventually came over to the spirits of Harmony and I said in an apology-like tone "sorry for all the trouble I gave you all."

They nodded their heads in accepting my apology and I found myself a little better. I did notice a confused look on Twilight's face and I asked "Is something troubling you Miss Sparkle?"

She let out a gasp which made me believe that she was lost in thought. She looked at me with a curious gaze and said "I did have a few questions I want to ask you." I nodded my head and motioned for her to continue. She took a quick breath and asked "I was wondering how you were able to trick us into believing that Celestia was dead?"

I gave a short laugh before replying "personally, I did not expect you all to believe me so easily. I mean think about it what chance does an earth pony knight have against the Princess of the Sun?" I shook my head a few times before continuing "it was a suicide mission and both myself and Nightmare Moon new. However, what she didn't know was that I'm a little smarter than the usual run-of-the-mill knight. I already had a plan on how to get what Nightmare Moon wanted and keep both myself and Princess Celestia alive."

_Flashback chapter 1_

Princess Celestia remained in shock as I continued draw my sword from its sheath. I was not entirely sure she was surprised because I was here or the fact that I had taken down the majority of her personal guard. Not that it really mattered; I was here to do a job and I intended to see it through.

Once my sword was completely drawn, I placed it on the ground in front of me and said "I need your crown" she looked at me with surprise and I could already see the question forming in her mind. Before she had a chance to ask, I quickly explained what her younger sister was planning and I also told her about my order to kill her. However, I then went on to say that I knew a way around this as the only thing Nightmare Moon wanted proof of my deed was her crown.

I was lucky that Princess Celestia was intelligent enough and fully understanding of the situation we were both in that she didn't need much persuasion to hand over her crown to me. Once I had the crown in my hooves, I place it on the ground and put my right hoof inside. Celestia knew at that moment what I was planning and was quickly forming the words to stop me. However, my mind was already set and nothing was going to change it.

I pressed the symbol located on the right shoulder armor piece and command it to only remove the right hoof armor piece. Before my mind could realize what I was doing an attempt to stop me with reason, I quickly grabbed my sword in my mouth and ran it across the exposed flesh. I felt my eyes water from the pain as my nerves were shot. I felt my body almost react naturally to the now bleeding leg but I managed to keep it suppressed by sheer willpower.

I watched through my half watered eyes as the Royal crown was slowly being coated by my own blood. To the untrained and inexperienced, it would appear that the crown was coated in Celestia's blood and not my own. Besides, they would not be able to see the bandages that I would use to close up the wound. It would all be hidden inside the armor.

Once I felt that the crown was sufficiently covered, I removed my hoof from the crown and quickly bandaged it up. Once that was completed, I picked up the crown in my mouth and placed it in my pack. I touched the crescent moon symbol on my armor and watched as the pieces reformed on my right hoof. I looked at Celestia as she looked at me and I gave a quick nod of my head to let her know that I was not going to bother her anymore. As I made my way to exit her study, she said, in a rather hasty tone of voice, "Wait."

I turned my head so I was looking at her to let her know that she had my attention. She took a small breath and said" I think I have figured out a way to get Princess Luna back to us." Though my body did not show it, I was secretly curious as to what she had to say. Believing she got my full attention, she said "I had just sent a letter to my favorite student. I believe that she possesses the power needed to defeat Nightmare Moon."

I said "you believe she has the ability to harness the Elements of Harmony?" Celestia replied "I believe she possesses a piece of the element of harmony." I then asked "so do you know where the other spirits of harmony reside?" She nodded her head and said "I believe they reside in the town of Ponyville; which is the location of the Summer Sun Celebration."

I said nothing merely nodded my head to let her know that I got the message. I then stepped out of her study passing by all the guards that I had knocked out.

_End flashback_

When my story was over, I noticed that most of them were looking at my right leg. Sure enough, the bandages were still there and I had a feeling that they were a little annoyed with their selves for not noticing that earlier. I dismissed their looked with a wave of my hoof and said "times a wasting and I would like to be out of this forest by lunch." I then started to make my way out of the ruined castle with the Princess of the Sun, the Princess of the Moon, and the spirits of Harmony following close behind.

The route out of the forest was pretty much the same as the route that Twilight Sparkle and her friends used to get to the castle. The trip was mostly quiet, well for me it was, as I was the only one in our group it was not engaged in conversation at the moment. I did not really mind actually, I find that I am able to focus better when I and not distract by idle conversation. I knew in my heart that the creatures that lived in the Everfree Forest were non-aggressive and were usually hostile when it came to food, water or protection. Still, one cannot be too careful. Every now and then, I would glance behind me to make sure the others were still there. Every time I did, I would notice that the two princesses would be engaged in one conversation while the other six were engaged in another. I was unable to hear what they were saying and personally I didn't really have to know.

We eventually got to the cliff which was to be our first and only obstacle on the journey back. As I looked up the sheer rock wall, I notice the flat rock platforms that I remember Applejack using to get down the cliff. I already have a plan on how to get us up there. I made my way to the side of the cliff. I channeled my magic into my left foreleg and commanded it to form its cloak. The cloak looked about the same as my foreleg; however, in place of where my hoof should have been, there were now claws. I slammed my claws into the side of the cliff and the others watched as rock stairs started to form up the side being connected to each platform until it reached the top. I then made my way up to the top of the steps with the others following close by.

When we reached the top, Rainbow Dash caught my eye and asked "how are you able to perform magic and not be a unicorn?" I gave a small smile and replied "not everything is as it appears to be." I then continued to lead the group without another word.

We managed to make it out the forest just as the sun was reaching noon. I noticed that one of Celestia's carriages was parked nearby. I was both surprised and happy as markings on the carriage had both sun and moon on it. The carriage was being driven by four of Celestia's Royal guard-pegasus division. Their gold armor was shining in the bright sun and it was almost blinding.

Celestia went to the carriage and brought out a long, black metal container. She carried it over to where we were at with her magic and placed it down in front of us. She opened the container and inside was six hollowed out items. Five of the hollowed out items were in the shape of a necklace and the sixth one was in the shape of a tiara. She then said "I had this made up to store the Elements of Harmony." The six ponies nodded their heads in understanding and one by one placed there element accessory into the box. Once they were all in, Celestia closed the box and returned it to the carriage.

Pinkie Pie then made her way back to Ponyville to prepare the party that she was already planning. The other five were quick to follow and it was not long before the only ones left at the edge of the forest were myself the two princesses and the four drivers.

I looked over at the two princesses and said in a rather humorous tone "well...what do you say we head on over to Ponyville. I hear that when Pinkie Pie is throwing a party; you don't want to miss it for the world." The two princesses nodded their heads and smiled before getting on the carriage. The drivers began to canter off towards the town. I managed to keep pace alongside it.

_Ponyville later that day_

I sat next to Luna as we watched Celestia give her student her new mission. Both Luna and I knew the real reason why her older sister was doing it and I had a pretty good feeling that Twilight and her friends knew it as well. The occasional glances I took to make sure that Luna was all right. Every time that I did, I solve that her face was practically glowing with happiness which always caused me to smile myself.

I decided to take another look and when I did, I solve that instead of happiness her face was one of deep thought. My curiosity sparked, I asked "is everything all right Princess?"

She looked at me and replied "I've been thinking..." I quickly replied in a humorous tone "that's a dangerous pastime Princess." she gave a small laugh and said "I was thinking about what to do with you." I quickly realized that the conversation may turn serious and therefore decided to drop my more playful side for a moment before replying "what do you mean Princess?"

She took a quick breath, possibly to relieve a bit of tension inside of her, before saying "I would like for you to stay here...in Ponyville." she said it slowly and carefully, likely because she was worried about how I would respond.

It took me a moment before the full reality of what she said came to me. My first thought was of surprise. It sounded like Luna was trying to get rid of me because of my past failures and the fact that I knowingly committed insubordination twice. I asked in a hushed tone so as to prevent the others from hearing "Princess are you...discharging me?" She quickly shook her head and replied "no Moonsaber. What I mean to say is that I have a mission for you."

My curiosity was now completely sparked. I looked at the Princess with the same kind of eyes I usually had whenever I was about to receive a mission. They were wide open and if you look closely enough, you could see the fire in my eyes burning like the sun.

Princess Luna turned to face me and said "your mission is to say here in Ponyville and live a relatively normal life. However, I asked that you give up your sword to me. I do not believe you will need it while living here."

I first had to admit that the thought of giving up my weapon was a daunting one. However, I was able to understand the reasoning behind this mission. It was not so much a punishment as it was more of a reward remaining loyal to her throughout all these years. It was my chance to be able to get a feel for the new way things are done in the land of Equestria. I would be able to make new friends and gain new experiences in life.

Though it did sound promising, I could not help but ask "what about you Princess? Are you then it be all right by yourself in the castle?" She gave a small smile and replied "I think so Moonsaber because I believe that this time things are going be different."

I looked over to where Celestia and the six ponies to carried the Elements of Harmony. I could see the joy on all of their faces and I could not help myself but reply "you know I have a feeling that you might be right."

**I think that this might actually be the longest paragraph I have done. This chapter is 11 pages long and I didn't even realize it would take this long. Half of this chapter was done using a new type of speech recognition software that allows me to type these chapters up using my voice. This was my first time using and I tried my best to correct any mistakes that the program made so I hope you understand if you see a grammar flaw here there.**

**Read and Review please**

**Richer1992**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here is chapter six. I really am glad that you all are enjoying it.**

Ticket Trouble

My eyes twitched as I felt the warmth of the morning sun. I gave a slight grunt of annoyance and shifted my body so I could get some more sleep. However, the Sun continued to brush against my fur until I had no choice but to admit that it was time to get up.

I gave a tired yawn as I tried to command my tired body into action. I felt the natural resistance that my body gave me in an effort to lure me back to slumber. I shook my head in an effort to clear my mind of the distracting thoughts and was able to finally get up.

I was currently lying on top of the guest bed in Twilight's library. It was currently my seventh day living in Ponyville and I did have to admit that my adjustment was a lot more challenging than I had originally anticipated.

The first three days I would spend staring up into the night sky in order to make sure that Luna was safe. To compensate for the all nighters I was pulling, I was spending all day sleeping, which was starting to affect both Twilight and her dragon assistant Spike. They say that the noise I was making was distracting them and suggested that I start sleeping at night instead of day.

The first time I did, my dreams were ravaged with scenario after scenario which usually ended up with the death of Luna. Such dreams were enough that I would end up exhausted or moody in the day. It wasn't until the sixth day that I received a letter from Princess Luna. As being the Princess of the night, she was also able to look into the dreams of others as long as they were sleeping in her domain. She used that ability to venture into my own dreams and was able to see the nightmares that I was being plagued with. The letter simply assured me that she was alright and I had nothing to worry about.

Last night was the first real sleep I had in a long time.

I gave another yawn and removed myself from the warm bed. I had realized that while we were exiting the Everfree Forest, Princess Luna was discussing her plan involving me to stay Ponyville with her sister. They had agreed to allow me to stay with Twilight for the duration of my mission. Naturally, Princess Celestia discussed this with her student and although she was a bit reluctant to allow me to stay with her, she did not want to disobey her teacher and I had a feeling that she was also a bit curious about me.

I looked over to the main bed and saw that it was empty. I gave a small smile at that because I have come to learn that Twilight was an early pony. I then stretched out my body to loosen out my muscles. Once that was done, I made my way downstairs to the main room.

Once I got there, I saw that Twilight was already snout deep in a book. Spike was currently hard at work with his morning chores which usually involve preparing breakfast and cleaning up any messes Twilight may have made the previous night.

I said good morning to Spike in which he responded in kind. I then made my way over to one of the shelves and pulled out a random book to read. I did feel a natural curiosity to go and explore my new surrounding, but every time I did go out I would get some weird looks from the other residents that made me feel like I was unwelcome.

It was then that I heard a knock on the door. Curious as to who was knocking this early in the morning; I made my way over to the door and opened it.

I was a little surprised to find Applejack standing on the other side of the door. Normally, she would be out in the fields working. Still there was always the possibility that she got the day off or something.

Naturally, I asked "good morning Applejack. What brings you here?" She replied "I have a question for you and Twilight." It was at that moment that Twilight had put down her book and was now standing at the door with me. Twilight then said "what is it Applejack?"

Applejack then replied "could you two help me with the harvest?" I looked at Twilight as she looked at me and I felt the silent question pass between us. I turned to look at Applejack and said "of course we would be glad to help you."

_Sweet Apple Acres, Lunchtime_

The sun was beating down my back as I carried the two baskets full of apples. I was currently walking behind Twilight who in turn was walking behind Applejack. Spike decided to join us however he spends all his time on Twilight's back. He was currently rummaging through one of the baskets that Twilight was caring in an obvious search for a snack.

I heard Applejack give her thanks for helping her with the harvest. I merely waved my hoof and told her it was no big deal. I was also glad that the goal was lunchtime as I have not eaten any breakfast and I can already hear my stomach growling. Twilight was in the same predicament as I was while Spike was busy complaining that we were taking so long that he missed snack time.

I gave a slight grunt and said "really Spike? All you've been doing this morning was sitting on Twilight's back and complain." he looked at me with what appeared to be a hurt look to which I just ignored. He then went back to rummaging through the basket until he came across a bright red apple then looked ripe and ready to eat. Twilight was thinking along the same lines but before she could get a sentence out, Spike had already eaten the apple whole.

Twilight and I gave Spike a piercing gaze and before he could apologize, his mouth expanded like there was something inside. He then made a barfing sound and a stream of green fire came out of his mouth. I watched as the green fire magically reformed into a scroll. I knew without even looking at the letter that was in blazing on the gold circle that it was a letter from Princess Celestia.

We all gathered around Spike as he opened the letter and started reading the contents. I was silently listening to what he was saying and I was surprise to find out that it was an invitation for Twilight Sparkle and a guest for the Grand Galloping Gala. While both Twilight and Applejack were almost bouncing up and down with joy, I felt my heart sink a bit.

I was a little annoyed with the fact that I had forgotten that the year of the Grand Galloping Gala was coming up. However, what I felt the most was a sense of despair. I still had memories of my first time at the Gala and although there was one good thing about that particular Gala, I was not in too much of a hurry to attend it again.

I then listened while Applejack went on to explain what she would like to do if she attended the Gala. Although my face remained passive, I was secretly wondering why Celestia would give the two tickets to her student. She knew just as well as I about how dull the Gala can be and the thought of Twilight and one of her friends going was something of a surprise.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I saw Rainbow Dash crashing onto both Applejack and Twilight. She then started to get excited over the fact that Twilight had an extra ticket to the Gala and went on to explain why she should go. From what I gathered the only reason she wanted to go was to audition for a chance to join her hero team the Wonderbolts. Applejack was quick to retaliate and I could see the start of an argument coming. Twilight was able to break it up from moment and try to use logic to solve the problem. However both were ambient about their reason to go that it did nothing to solve the problem or even reduce it.

Twilight then looked at me and asked "do you have a reason for going Moonsaber?" I shook my head and replied "I've already been to a Gala once and I have no real reason for going again. Personally I think you all shouldn't go either as the only real reason the Gala was established was because it was a way for those in the noble families to attempt to achieve a higher standing. It is nothing more than a drawn out boring stuffy attention seeking snobbish dance." I gave a tired sigh and then said "however, I am required as one of the guards still listed in their roster to attend and it shouldn't be long before I received my ticket from Luna."

Almost as soon as I had said it, Spike let out another barf and instead of a stream of green fire it was now a stream of blue fire. The blue fire materialized to create another scroll. Before Spike had a chance to pick it up, I used my magic to grab it and opened it myself.

I read through the contents almost absentmindedly as what I read was pretty much the same thing that was on the scroll sent by Celestia. However, I was surprised to find that there was a second piece of parchment behind the first. Looking at it I was able to see that it was an order sent by the Capt. of the Guard. I read this one carefully as it usually has something to do with a crime I committed or what kind of punishment I was going to receive. What I found surprising was that the paper did not have either of these but instead read as follows.

_Dear Moonsaber,_

_As requested by the Princess of the Moon, you are hereby eligible to take the Champion Trial. If you complete the trial and managed to stay alive, you will earn the prestigious title of Champion of the Moon. You are to report to the Battle Roof on the night of the Gala to compete in the trial. Tardiness will result in you being charged with desertion._

_Capt. of the Guard_

_Dead Aim_

I had to read the order almost 3 times to be able to fully understand or even comprehend what was written. For the first time in a long time, I was completely dumbstruck by the sudden turn of events. I knew about the existence of the Champion of the Moon and his counterparts the Champion of the Sun but I had believed to myself to be unable or unworthy of obtaining such a position. Still, it was not every day that you become eligible to achieve such a high position.

I also managed to find my two tickets for the Gala. Twilight then said "what did the note say?" I looked at her and the others that were there and saw that they were all as curious as Twilight was. Although I thought of them as friend, I felt no reason why I should tell them about the idea of me becoming Champion of the Moon. Besides they would have any idea what it would mean anyway.

I burn the note that stated my possible promotion and replied "just a notice saying that they found my record in their books and were going to do a background check." it was a partial truth as one of the protocols required in order for a night to obtain the position of Champion, a thorough background check is required. I then realized that I probably wouldn't even pass that considering my rather…shaky background. Still, I was given the letter so there might be some hope after all.

Before they had a chance asked me any more questions, I said "I guess I now have a reason to go to the Gala. Now I just have to figure out who I want to take with me?" that sentence seemed to trigger light bulbs in both Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Before they had a chance to gang up on me, I quickly said "and I will be able to make a much better decision once I have some food in my stomach."

I then made my way back to Ponyville with Twilight and Spike following close behind. While Spike was holding Twilight's two tickets, I was carrying the two tickets I have gotten in my mouth.

We managed to reach the center of town in a few minutes. I removed the two tickets in my mouth and asked Spike if he could hold onto them for me to which he agreed. I then asked Twilight if she had any ideas on who to give the two extra tickets to. She replied that she had no idea but went on to say that the answer may come to her after some food. I nodded my head in agreement as it sounded like the best plan so far.

Before we had chance to figure where we were going to eat, we were suddenly tackled by Pinkie Pie. As we struggled around to get up, the four tickets landed on Pinkie Pie's nose. She started screaming and running around and I heard the word bats. She then suddenly stopped and looked at the four tickets at her eyes practically sparkled as she came to the realization that they were in fact tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala.

She then started singing which I immediately drowned out. It was not that I didn't like her singing; it was that it was able to get on my nerves real fast. When her song was over, she started bouncing up and down like a jumping being and thanking Twilight over and over about giving her the ticket. Before either myself or Twilight had a chance to tell Pinkie Pie otherwise, I heard another gasp behind us and I turned around to see that the gasp came from Rarity.

Pinkie Pie quickly told her that the tickets she was looking at were in fact a genuine Grand Galloping Gala tickets. She then went on to explain her dream of the Gala which sounded to me like the main reason she want to go was so she could get a particular stallion to fall in love with her. When her store was over she complained to Twilight about how she was not being a good friend in that she was giving her extra ticket to Pinkie Pie and not herself.

Twilight quickly explain how she was still undecided about who to get the ticket to and before Rarity and Pinkie Pie had a chance to attempt to persuade her or myself, I heard a small voice behind them and we all turned around to see that it was Fluttershy. There was a white rabbit next to her and in her mouth were the four tickets.

Rarity demanded to know the reason as to why Fluttershy wanted to attend the Gala. Although Fluttershy had a little problem in figuring out what to say, she managed to reply that she wanted to attend the Gala for the reason of seeing the Royal Gardens and making friends with the fauna there.

Before Twilight or myself could so much as complete a sentence, we heard another voice above us and we turned our heads to see that it was Rainbow Dash. I asked Rainbow Dash if she was following us the whole time and her response was considered weak in my opinion. Before I had a chance to patronize her about it, Applejack spoke out and declared that she was not following us but rather following Rainbow Dash.

It soon became a torrent of arguing and raised voices. It was starting to drive my nerves on end and I was having a hard time thinking. Twilight was pretty much feeling the same way as we both seem to get crushed under the drowning noises of our friends.

It was then that Twilight screamed out in frustration. Truthfully I cannot blame her for lashing out as I was close to doing so myself. She went on to lecture her friends and finished by saying she will find a way out of this mess after lunch. I nodded my head in agreement as I was thinking along the same lines. I then watched as they when off in separate directions occasionally taken a glance back at us. For the first time in a while I felt strangely alone but I knew that between Twilight and myself we would be able to find a way out of this mess.

We stopped at a local restaurant in order to get something to eat. Spike was with us and he was not showing any signs that he really cared about who we gave the tickets to. Although Twilight was a bit quick to anger probably due to the fact that she still had not gotten anything to eat I was a bit calmer and tried to think of a way out of this mess. However there were simply not enough tickets to allow all seven of us to attend. We may end up having to disappoint some can only bring the ones who we believe are the most deserving to attend the Gala even though I knew there'd be no chance of their dreams becoming reality they still deserve to go to have a chance.

We ordered our food in which involves Spike getting hay fries, Twilight getting a sandwich and myself getting a salad. When the food arrived I felt a sense of relief as I was sure I could figure out something once I had some nourishment inside of me. However before it could take so much as a single bite, the waiter asked if we were going to eat our food out in the rain. I was a little confused by this and took a moment to look up at the sky to see if there were clouds. I was a little surprised at what I saw.

The sky was completely covered in rain clouds except for a single hole that seemed to been kicked out right over us. I studied the hole further and I was not surprised to find Rainbow Dash appearing through the hole. Twilight asked Rainbow Dash what she was doing and she replied that she was merely said that she was providing us with some light while we enjoyed our food. I was not a total fool and I had a feeling that Twilight wasn't either so I asked Rainbow Dash if this had anything to do with the tickets we were holding and if this was a way for her to try to get favor with us. She casually replied that she was done this for anypony but I knew that was a bluff because I could see out of the corner of my eye a few ponies running to try to escape the rain. I looked back at Rainbow Dash with a face that could imply that I was saying "oh really". She gave a nervous laugh in response and Twilight then said how she was uncomfortable accepting these favors and asked Rainbow Dash to close up to which she did. Satisfied that that was over I went back to eat my salad only to be completely drenched in the downpour of rain. I could tell you one thing though neither Twilight nor I were happy ponies at that moment.

It was then that Rarity came around with an umbrella and gave a rather obvious comment. I couldn't stop myself from saying "no really?" Before I could comment further, she grabbed Twilight and took her to her house. Me and Spike quickly followed after them.

When we got to Rarity's home, I found Twilight already in the middle of drying herself off. However, the excess water splashed onto Rarity completely soaking her. I was sure that Rarity was going to get mad about it so I was a little surprised to find her wave it off as if it was nothing.

That kind of unusual behavior seemed to have set off a familiar cord in my mind although I was unsure about at the moment. I decided to play it safe to see what Rarity was planning. Me and Spike watched as Rarity started to give Twilight a makeover. After a few minutes, Twilight was revealed to us wearing a rather elaborate but simple saddle. If that sounds confusing you have to understand that I am a guy and fashion is one thing that I just can't really wrap my mind around. To me if something fits and is comfortable then it's fine by me.

Rarity did the same thing for Spike but the moment she was done with him, he immediately threw off the costume and told us that he was heading back to the library. Rarity ignored that and instead returned her attention back to Twilight. She started praising the way Twilight looked in the new dress; but she made a slip up when she mentioned the Gala which immediately sparked Twilight's attention to the here and now. Rarity then went on to show Twilight the dress she had which looked exactly like the one Twilight was wearing. She then went on to describe how elegant and beautiful she was going to be at the Gala but she once again made a slip up in her wording by not including Twilight. It became one slip up too many and Twilight quickly saw through the deception. She removed the dress and made her way to the front door complaining that that she was still hungry. However the door suddenly flew open and Applejack came in just long enough to grabbed twilight out of the boutique. I quickly made my way outside and saw Applejack's attempt to persuade Twilight in giving her the ticket.

What I saw was a cart filled with food that had apples as their main ingredients. Although I felt my stomach growl and my mouth was starting to water a bit, I immediately denied the cart full of treats. Twilight did the same and we both made a run back to the library.

Once we got there I said "I hope we can get some peace and quiet in here." I opened the door and saw to my surprise and despair that the library was filled with animals cleaning. I looked up and I saw Fluttershy humming a tune and I could not help but give a small sigh and say "not you to Fluttershy." She turned to face us and nearly said that she was doing a little spring cleaning. Twilight then replied the fact that it was not the springtime but rather summer. I knew that the only reason that Fluttershy was doing this was to get the ticket and it did not take long for her to admit that. She even had her pet bunny make a salad for us and although I was still hungry I refused it.

Me and Twilight made for the door and motioned for Fluttershy to leave. It was then that I was suddenly grabbed and tossed into the air. I then heard the singing voice Pinkie Pie and quickly realized that she had thrown a party in an effort to persuade us to give her the ticket.

It took the combined yells from both me and Twilight to get the other ponies to stop throwing us up into the air. As we laid on the ground with Pinkie Pie hovering over us, I said in a rather agitated voice "at least the others were a bit more discreet about the ticket." I quickly realized that saying the word ticket was a bad idea.

The other ponies quickly of formed a circle around us, the confusion evident on their faces as they asked about these tickets. Pinkie Pie in her usual self openly proclaims that me and twilight were holding an extra ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala. The other ponies freaked out and it wasn't long before they started offering us favors.

As the circle close around us, Twilight asked me "do you have any plans on getting us out of this mess?" I replied "just one." She looked at me and said "and that would be?" I couldn't help myself but give a small smile as I said in a loud voice "running away." I then immediately took off breaking through the circle with Twilight and Spike following close behind.

So began our attempted escape from the overzealous mob that was following us. We tried everything we could think of in order to escape them but despite all our efforts it was not long before we ended up cornered. As the mob got closer their voices mingling with each other making it impossible to hear what they were saying, I felt a sudden surge of magic beside me. I had just enough time to look at twilight to see her horn glowing before we all disappeared in a flash of white light.

We re-appeared back the library just as the moon was starting to rise. I felt my mind spinning around but it was not long before I had managed to get my head together. It was then that Twilight proclaimed that we lock up the library. Spike, Twilight, got to work closing all of the door and turning off all the light. We worked in a frantic pace, the fear clearly evident in our movements.

Once the library was closed down, we all collapsed on the ground exhausted. I felt my worries over for the time being until a light suddenly came on. Twilight and I looked over at one of the windows and saw our friends waiting for us there.

The proved to be the last straw and Twilight exploded in a fit of hysteria, confusion, and sadness. She was now voicing her grief to her friends about how she was unable to choose one without upsetting the rest and how it was important to all of them. I just nodded my head in agreement as I was thinking along the same lines and there was no reason for me to voice it out. I watched the faces of the five ponies and saw the regret on their faces. I knew that even though they were excited about the tickets, they valued their friendship with Twilight more.

One by one, they made their way over to Twilight in order to both comfort her and to tell her that they didn't want the tickets, especially if it was causing her so much grief. Although Rainbow Dash at first expressed her excitement over the fact that she was going to get the ticket, due to being the only one left who wanted the ticket, it didn't take long for her to change her mind about it.

Twilight was feeling a lot better now and she quickly asked Spike to take a letter. I listened in on how she voiced the new lesson she learned about friendship as was her duty to Princess Celestia. I was then a little shocked to find out that she was returning both tickets to Princess Celestia. When her friends asked her why, she merely replied that she would not be able to enjoy the Gala without all of her friends. Spike then opened a window and sent the letter in a flash of green flame.

It was not long before a return letter appeared. Spiked picked it up and read the one sentence that was one it. He then grabbed the six tickets that were sent with the letter and while the girls were almost bouncing up and down about the reality of all of them going, I gave a small smile. I had a feeling that Celestia would do something like this. There was also the vague idea that the Princess set this up from the begging in order to teach her student like that. Whatever the case maybe, each of the spirits of Harmony now had a ticket to attend the Gala.

We decided to celebrate by going out for dinner. It was a welcome relief as Twilight and myself was still hungry. I was also glad that the others would pay for the dinner and we all made our way out of the library.

I hung back for a bit as I heard Spike said "How come I can't go to the Gala?" Another small smile formed on my face as I had a hunch that Spike wanted to go. I used my magic to lift up the extra ticket that I had gotten from Luna and I gave it to Spike. He looked at me with a surprise face and I said "This way, we all get to attend." Spike's face light up in happiness and he rushed out of the library. I gave a small chuckle and followed close behind.

**This took a lot longer than I had anticipated. However, I am happy with how it came out and I am glad that all of you are enjoying it as well. I could have finished sooner but I was on vacation at the time and was unable to find the time to type. On a side note, college will be starting by the end of this month and although I will continue to work on this project as much as I can, I may end up putting it on hold as I had already planned on working on part two of my four part story during college. That is enough rambling out of me so…**

**Read and Review Please**

**Richer1992**


	7. Chapter 7

**I enjoyed the feedback I had gotten from you all and I have decided to try this from a different approach. Instead of going through season one in the normal episode order, I will be jumping around from episode to episode, doing ones where I feel Moonsaber will have a more active role first. With that in mind, I present you all with chapter seven.**

A Royal Spa Day

I made my way over to the Town Hall to pick up a letter that was addressed to me. I had a vague wondering as to where the letter had come from and who knew about me. The only ponies I could think of who could recall me have returned to Mother Nature a long time ago. It was a puzzling situation, one that I was determined to find out.

I reached the town hall around noontime. Although there were a lot of ponies walking around the pavilion, very few of them actually entering or leaving the pavilion. It was not at all strange as most enter the Town Hall for either work or send letters meant for somepony who does not reside in the immediate area or receive letters. Ponyville did have their own mail pony but she was only tasked with delivering letters in the local area. I had to admit to myself that I could see the reason behind this as I have met this particular mail pony before. Despite her rather…unusual appearance, I found out that she was actually a very kind-hearted pony who merely accepts the way she is and doesn't take too much offense to anyone staring at her.

I pushed that thought out of my head and made my way inside the pavilion. Once I was there, I went over to the mail counter that was located on one corner of the building. I could see the shelf that had the letters behind the desk. A male earth pony was currently behind the desk at the time as I made my way over to him.

I then said "Excuse me sir, but I believe that there is a letter address to me?" He replied in a monotone voice "Name please." I replied with my name and he made his way over to the shelf. I watched as he reached up to the second from the top shelf and pulled out a normal size letter. He then handed me the letter after I had paid for the postage.

Once I had the letter, I made my way over to a nearby empty bench. I wanted someplace comfortable enough to read it and I hoped that no pony would decide to bother me.

I opened it up and I was surprise to find that it was a letter from Princess Luna. I was able to recognize that style of writing anywhere. There was also the faint stench of lavender emanating from the paper which I also knew was one of Luna's favorite perfumes.

Suddenly, questions started to form in my head; the most prominent one being as to why Luna had sent me a letter through the mail-ponies and not through Spike like she had done before. Before I allow my mind to form any sort of hasty conclusions, I decided to read the letter first. It may have the answers that I seek. The letter said:

_Dear Moonsaber,_

_I first want to apologize for the rather unusual method I had to use to get this letter to you. I wanted to make sure that you would be the only one to see it and I couldn't trust Twilight's dragon to not read it out loud. I also want to apologize for this being of short notice but I figure that we could spend some time together; like back in the old days. I have heard from my older sister of a rather famous spa located in Ponyville and I was hoping we could spend it together. I have already made an appointment and paid for it, however, if you don't want to go or if you are busy, I understand. Send a return letter via magic as soon as you are able._

_Princess of the Moon_

_Luna_

_P.S: This trip is considered un-official._

I read the letter over three times to get a complete understanding of what was going to happen. I was a little surprise that Luna wanted to come to Ponyville and the fact that she wanted to spend that time with me in a spa. I of course knew about the spa she was talking about. I just never realized that it was actually famous enough.

Still…the thought about spending a whole day with Luna sounded like a wonderful idea. It had been so long since I had seen her and I still wonder if she is now happy with how things turned out.

I quickly pulled out a small piece of parchment from my pack while also putting the letter in it. I quickly got out my quill and scribbled on it:

_Dear Luna,_

_I would enjoy spending the day with you at the spa._

_Your faithful knight_

_Moonsaber_

Once that was done, I folded up the piece of parchment and blew on it. Out of my mouth came a small dark blue fire that consumed the parchment. There was a small pop and both the fire and the parchment were gone.

I got up from the bench and made my way back to the library. I wanted to make sure that the other did not have any plans for today. It is strange how one simple village can managed to generate so much excitement and crises, but that is what you get when six of your residents are the Elements of Harmony.

Speaking of the Elements, I had just realized that I had not seen either Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy today. I vaguely wondered what those two were up two but I pushed it aside. Knowing Rainbow Dash she was probably napping somewhere and Fluttershy would most likely be at her cottage tending to an animal.

I managed to reach the library just in time to see Spike preparing Twilight's balloon. I remember Celestia giving it to her one day as a way for her to travel. If Spike was getting it set up then it must mean that Twilight is planning on going somewhere. I was fortunate that I did not have to wait too long to find out.

It was at that moment that the door to the library opened and I saw Twilight, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie exiting it. I made my over to them and said "Hay there. You all have any plans for today." Twilight smiled and said "We are going to Cloudsdale to support Rainbow Dash in the Best Young Flier Competition."

I looked at them all with an evident confusion on my face. I asked "But Cloudsdale is a pegasus only city. How will you all be able to stay on the clouds?" I saw Twilight smirk and she said "Well I did find one spell that will get one of us up there." "Oh and what might that be?" I asked though in my mind I already had a vague idea.

It was then that I heard the door opening again. I looked over and saw that it was Rarity. However, she was now sporting a pair of butterfly wings which allow her to fly. I could not help myself but give a small smirk and said "Flying spell…good thinking but I doubt that you will have the magic to be able to give you all wings." Twilight smiled again and said "I knew that but I managed to find a much easier spell that will allow the rest of us to walk on the clouds." She then paused for a moment and said "Did you want to come with us Moonsaber?" I shook my head and replied "I can't, I have something important to do here. But tell Rainbow Dash I wish her luck."

I watched as Applejack and Pinkie Pie got in the balloon basket. Rarity, being the only one with wings at the time, decided to fly over to Cloudsdale. I looked over at Twilight who was looking at me with a face that I could tell meant that she wanted to ask me about something. My hunch was confirmed when she said "Moonsaber, can I ask you something?"

Despite myself, I could not help myself to saying "Obviously you just did, but I will allow you to ask me another question." Surprised by the mild word play I had done, Twilight gave a small laugh and said "Sorry, I just wanted to know if you heard about something called a 'Sonic Rainboom'?"

I cast my memories for a while, trying to remember the lessons on various aerial maneuvers. After a few minutes I said "I know about it though I have not seen a pony actually perform it. It is a very advance maneuver that if done incorrectly could cause serious injury." Twilight then asked "So it is possible for a pegasus to pull it off?" I nodded my head in agreement but I then added "That is true in theory. It is technically possible for a pegasus to go fast enough to break the sound barrier and produce a rainbow at the same time but as far as I know, no pegasus has ever come close to that speed." Twilight thanked me for the information and got in the balloon with the rest of her friends. The balloon then took off and I waved good-bye along with Spike.

Spike then made his way inside the library, saying that he needed to attend to his choirs and to keep the library clean. I nodded my head in understand and watched him enter the library.

With nopony now looking at me at the moment, I quickly blew out a blast of magical blue fire. The fire swirled around a bit before reforming into a scroll. I let out a deep sigh and said "Glad that didn't come out sooner or I would have had to do some serious explaining." I picked up the scroll and unrolled it to reveal the reply letter from Luna. It had said:

_Dear Moonsaber,_

_I am so happy that you accepted my offer. Could you please meet me in front of the spa after lunch?_

_Princess of the Moon_

_Luna_

I nodded to myself and took a quick glance at the sun to see what time it was. Judging from the position, I assumed that it was around lunchtime and I figured I only had enough time for a quick bite to eat. I raced over to a nearby store and bought two apples. I quickly ate them, feeling the sweet juices pouring down my throat as I made my way over to the spa. I had finished the second one just as I reached the spa.

The spa was of a simple design but had a sort of beauty to it that rivaled the other buildings around here. The walls of the spa were made in a polished white stone while the roof was made from the same material used in the roofs on the other houses in Ponyville. The spa itself was two stories tall and I assumed that the top floor was the living area for the spa owners, the twin spa ponies Aloe and Lotus.

I did not have to wait long before I felt the familiar presence of Luna. I looked up to the sky and saw that she was flying towards me. I remain where I was at but I now bend my right foreleg and went into my bowing position as I was taught whenever I was coming into the presence of royalty. I lowered my head and a small smile form on my lips as I knew in my heart that I was very glad to see her.

I heard her landing on the ground and I said in a formal voice "It is good to see you again Princess." I felt a momentary shock go through my body when I felt her hoof on my shoulder and before I could suppress it she replied "None of that now please Moonsaber. I did tell you that this was an unofficial trip."

I got up from my bowing position and said "Sorry about that…old habits die hard." Luna gave a small smile and said "Well then…shall we get started." I nodded my head and we made our way to the door. Once we reached it, I went straight for it and pushed it open. However, I did not go inside at the moment but instead let Luna go inside first. It was just another thing I had to learn about while training to become a knight. Once she had entered the spa, I made my way inside as well.

The first thing that came to me was my smell. I could smell the incense that were burning at the moment and also the fragrances that permeated the air. Normally, I would be gagging to myself from the smells but the subtle amounts in conjunction with the mixture instead caused me to be in a relaxed state.

The second thing that came to me was sight. The walls inside were of a simple white color but they seemed to invite a sense of relaxation that was being provided by the smells. Although we were in the lobby area, I could see the hallway that lead to the rest of the spa.

I pushed any other observations out of my mind at the moment and made my way to the counter where Luna was busy talking to the pink earth pony who I believe is Aloe although it is kind of hard to remember which one it is. When I reached the counter, I asked Luna "So we all set here?" She nodded her head and Aloe said "If you will follow me, we can begin. I would ask however that you leave any jewelry or belongings in one of the shelves over there." She then pointed to a medium size white shelf that contains various spots to hold items. I made my way over to it and placed my pack in one of the spots while Luna placed her various items she was wearing in another one.

Once that was taken care of, we followed Aloe down the hallway passing by various open areas that from the quick glances I saw lead to other parts of the spa. I made my way over to Luna and said in a quiet tone "She doesn't seem to in awe by the fact that you are here?" Luna replied in an equal quiet tone "The reason being is that my older sister comes here every now and then so I believe they have gotten use to the fact of receiving royalty." I nodded my head and we fell back into silence.

We eventually reached a wooden door and Aloe motioned for us to enter. Once we did, I was blasted with a stream of hot steam. Aloe closed the door, leaving us inside at the mercy of the steam. It was a good thing that my body quickly got used to steam and I was able to relax on the wood bench that looked like it was shaped out of the wall. I did see the cushions that were placed on the bench and I used one to give myself a more comfortable position. I could feel my body starting to try and cool itself down as the liquids ran through my fur. The already relaxed state I was in was now intense as I felt all of my worries evaporation with the steam.

Although my body was tempting me to, I decided to forgo sleep as I wanted to know how thing were going with Princess Luna. It was one thing that had generally kept me distracted at times and I would like to get some clarification from her. I looked at her and I saw that she had her eyes half closed. I was now worried that I my question may prevent Luna from relaxing and I was almost about to back off when Luna said "Is there something you wanted to ask me about Moonsaber?"

I was a little surprised that she was able to read my body language so easily. It took me a moment to get over that surprise and say "I…I just wanted to know if everything was alright back at the castle?"

She gave a small smile and replied "Yes Moonsaber. I have learned that my older sister has done a lot to get ponies to take notice of my nights. There is even a class at the School for Gifted Unicorns based on that." I nodded my head in understanding and replied "Well…that is good to hear about Luna. I feel a lot better knowing that ponies are starting to take an interest. I have read some books that use the moon as a symbol for romance." Luna nodded her head and she replied "Yes I have heard about that. It is nice to finally be appreciated. I may not be as loved as my sister but at least I can take heart in knowing that I am not being ignored." I couldn't help but smile and replied "I am very glad Luna. Things do appear to have changed a lot during our banishment on the moon." "Indeed it has my faithful knight." Luna replied.

It was at that moment that the door opened and we heard a voice saying that our time was up and it was time to move on to the next part of the treatment. We came out of the sauna and quickly put on a towel to prevent us from leaving water marks. I realized that the voice was coming from the blue color coat of Lotus. I assumed that Aloe was either back at the front desk or preparing the last part of our treatment.

We followed Lotus down a few hallways until we came to a room that was mostly covered in shelves filled with bottles and two platforms. Realizing what was going on, I made my way over to one of the platforms and got on it. I then lay down on my stomach and waited for the massage to begin. Despite the rather rugged life style I was used too, I did in fact enjoy the occasional massage. They always seem to remind me of what my life was like growing up.

From my position, it was rather hard for me to see what was going on. I did hear Luna getting up in table which might have been a lot easier for her due to the simple fact that she had wings. I then heard the sounds of various hooves. Before I could make out any differences, I felt the cold sting of form landing on my back. I gave an involuntary lurch but then relaxed as I felt the form being spread across my entire back, aided by whoever was giving me the massage at the time. I let out a gentle sigh as the aromas started to induce me into a dream like state where I felt my mind out somewhere else.

The hooves were at work, searching my back for tensions or cramps. Needless to say it was not that hard finding them as my entire body seemed rigid and tense, due to the lack of training. I made a note to myself that I would have to get back to that as soon as I was able to. I need to be at my best if I am going to have a chance of getting through the Champion test.

However, that thought was pushed away as well as I felt the tense muscles loosen up under the gentle pressing of whoever was working me. I gave a content sigh as I started to feel more and more relax.

Naturally, the massage ended sooner than I would have liked and we were now escorted to the last part of our treatment, the pool. I took the time to ask Luna if she was able to see who was giving me the massage but she merely replied that she dozed off the moment they got started with her.

We reached the pool area and I first tested the water to feel its temperature. The water was warm but not burning and like before the moment I got in, I felt my mind leaving my body. I gave another content sigh as I allowed my body to be submerged in the water.

I was about to go to sleep when I heard Luna asked "Moonsaber…there is something that I wanted to ask you about?" I noticed that her voice sounded weak and nervous, as if she was walking on dangerous grounds. However, I could not place my hoof as to why she would have been. I replied "Of course Luna." She took a deep breath and asked "I was wondering if you could tell me how you are able to use magic despite the fact that you are an earth pony?"

Out of all the questions I thought she would have asked me, this was the most unexpected one. She never asked me about the source of my magic skills and I was starting to wonder why the sudden interest. I then remembered about the Champion Test and the possibility of me becoming Champion of the Moon.

"She probably wants to evaluate my skills." I thought to myself. I looked at her and said "I rather not say as I don't know how you will react. I am not entirely sure how long I will be able to keep this magic." I saw that she was confused and her confusion was verified when she said "What do you mean you're not entirely sure how long you will be able to keep your magic?" I looked out the window and watched as the clouds seemed to just float on in the breeze, unaffected by any pegasus. I gave a tired sigh and said "My time is almost up and when it does, you won't like what I will become." I thought about it for a moment and said "I will say this though. It involves a dragon."

Before Luna could ask me about that, we were told by Lotus that our time was up. We made our way to the towel racks and dried ourselves off. After that, we made our way back to the lobby and regain our possessions. I waited for Luna to get her jewelry back in order and we made our way outside. Once we were outside, I said "Well that was a relaxing time…"

_BOOM!_

A loud explosion shook the ground, catching both myself and Luna unprepared. It took us a moment to find our balance and Luna asked "What was that?" I looked up at the sky and replied "See for yourself." Luna looked up and she saw the wave of rainbow energy flying over us. Once it had past, Luna looked at me and asked "Where do you suppose that came from?" I could not help myself but give a grin and said "If I had to take a guess…I believe that was Rainbow Dash performing a Sonic Rainboom.

**I am still surprise by how long I am making these chapters. I usually don't have them this long. Anyhow, I hope you all enjoy it and I look forward to any critics you may have that can help me improve the story.**

**Read and Review Please**

**Richer1992**

**P.S: there is a notice on my profile concerning the amount of updates I do for this story. I would encourage you to at least take a look at it.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Wanted to try and get this one done before college starts. May be the last chapter you see for a while or it might not be. If you are confused as to what I mean by that then take a look on my profile page to see how I will be handling updates while in college.**

Boast Bonding Part 1

I woke to the strange sounds of magic filling the insides of the library. It was currently mid morning and I was settling down for a nap after a hard morning of training. I tried to return back to sleep but the noises continue and I came to the difficult conclusion that I was now up and I might as well figure out what Twilight was doing.

I got up from my bed and made my way upstairs. My movements were slowed and a little disorientated as my body had yet to get fully awaken. Still, it didn't take long for me to reach Twilight's bedroom and personal study area. Once I was there, I saw an easel set up with some large paper and a list of what looked to be the names of spells. I was able to count twenty-five different spells and I also notice the red line that crossed over twenty-four of them. I looked over at Twilight and saw that she was deep in concentration. I watched as the horn on her head started to glow with magic and I looked over at Spike to watch her result. I had already read on the board that she was attempting a simple growing spell which in my personal opinion was a good spell for her to work on.

I watched as magic started to form around Spike's face and it was not long before a mustache appeared. I gave a small smile and said "Not bad…not bad at all." Twilight let out a gasp of surprise and quickly said "I'm so sorry that I woke you up Moonsaber." I dismissed the apology and replied "It is quite alright. I was just getting up anyway." I then motioned at the board and said "How many spells have you done so far" Before she could answer, Spike replied "twenty-five! Twilight is able to do twenty-five different spells and tricks." He then went over to the nearby mirror and started to admire his new mustache. I gave a small whistle of surprise and said "That is quite a feat. I can see now why Princess Celestia chose you as her protégé and why the Element of Magic was bestowed upon you." I saw Twilight give a small blush and instead of replying directly to me, she removed the mustache on Spike much to his disappointment and said "Well we were just about to head out for a walk anyway. Want to come with us Moonsaber?" I thought about it for a moment and replied "Well…I have nothing better to do. Of course I would like to come Twilight."

Twilight then went to get Spike while I went back downstairs to retrieve my pack. Once we were ready to go, we headed out of the library and made our way to town.

I felt the sun shining on my body the moment I stepped outside. The cool breeze was refreshing and I felt a sense of peace surrounding me. I took a deep breath and gave a content sigh. Twilight heard me and asked "Are you alright." I was startled a bit by the sudden question but I quickly recovered and replied "Yeah I'm fine…just thinking about what a beautiful day it is going to be." I didn't hear Twilight respond but I had a feeling that she agreed as well. We closed up the library and made our way down to the market. Spike had mentioned that we were running low on food and we all figured that it was as good a time as any to get some more.

As we were walking, Spike was still going on about Twilight's magical abilities. It was actually starting to sound like boasting to me and I was happy with the fact that it wasn't getting into Twilight's head too much. Still, considering the raw power she has inside of her, I wouldn't be surprised if she surpassed me in magical powers.

It was then that Spike was tackle by two young colts. They looked to be around the age that Applebloom was and I recognized them as Snips and Snails. They started going on about a new unicorn in town and the fact that she was claiming to be the most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria. Although Spike did try and defend Twilight, I asked about the location of the new unicorn and they replied that she was over at the town square. My curiosity was now sparked and I asked Twilight "Do you want to go take a look?" She nodded her head and we made our way to the pavilion.

Once we got closer, I notice the large crowd that seemed to circle what appears to be a traveling cart. Twilight and I managed to push our way to the front to get a better view and it would seemed that we were just in time. A female voice started to speak and while others were looking around for the source, I continued to stare at the wagon with a blank expression. It was at that moment that the wagon started to open up to reveal a stage and in another moment came a blast of sound and a burst of smoke. Appearing from that smoke was a unicorn who I assumed was the one in question about claiming to be the most powerful unicorn in Equestria.

The unicorn was wearing a purple cape that was adorned with various stars in addition to her hat. Despite that, I was still able to see that her coat was a light azure color and her mane was light grayish bluish cyan with streaks of light bluish cyanish gray. It was then that she proclaimed herself to be none other than the Great and Powerful Trixie which at least now confirmed what her name was.

After she gave her introduction, she then started to go through her routine. I watched with mild interest as she performed various simple but flashy magic tricks. I was also listening to the conversation going on with some of my friends and not to my surprised found that they did not approve of all the boasting that Trixie was doing. I had to agree with them on that point but it was not my place to decide that.

It was then that Rainbow Dash started to dismiss the performing unicorn. I had a feeling that some of the others in the audience including my new friends were of that same mind set. I heard her reply to that and I was almost about to leave when I heard mention of the Ursa Major and how she was able to defeat it. Now that got my attention and I decided to stick around for a little while longer and see where this would go. I saw the fireworks that had been going off for quite some time reform to show a rather simplistic view of a bear and a picture of a pony with a wand. Some more magic and lights completed the illustration and the two young colts Snips and Snails were now in total belief that Trixie was the most powerful unicorn in Equestria.

The audience remained in silence but I was unsure as to wither it was from disbelief or awe. Trixie assumed it was the former and started to proclaim a challenge that anything a pony could do, she could do better. I looked over at Twilight and said in a soft voice "This might be a good time to upstage Trixie. I have already sensed her magical abilities and she isn't even in the same league as you are." Twilight looked at me and I could see worry in her eyes. I wondered about where that was coming from as I believe she should be feeling excitement about the chance to upstage this unicorn. She then said "And risk losing my friends in the process. If I go up there and show off my magic, I would be no better than Trixie." I nodded my head in understanding. Now that I think about it, trying to disprove Trixie would be ineffective at this time and place. She had the advantage of the crowd and we had no hard evidence against her accusation. It would have been our word against her.

It was then that Trixie called on her first challenge. She pointed with her hoof at what she believed to be an easy win for her. However as luck would have it, she was pointing her hoof at me.

**Due to college getting ever closer, I have come to the realization that I may not be able to complete this episode in one chapter as I have done before. Instead, I have decided to split it up into two parts which this being the first one. The second one may come during college if I feel like it but for now considers this the holding spot. I apologize for this and hope you all understand.**

**Read and Review Please**

**Richer1992**


	9. Chapter 9

**Surprise update is coming your way. I figured since we are have all had our excitement over the beginning of season two, I might as well take this moment to update this story at least once.**

Minor Fight/Major Find

Where there were once the sounds of cheering and enjoyment, it was now replaced by a more haunting disposition. All eyes were now upon me and I could feel the nervous energy that was emanating in the air. I knew that even though it had been a few weeks since the whole "Nightmare Moon" incident and even though ponies have been known to forgive rather easily due to the whole 'love and tolerate' way of life, a few still have not forgive me for my actions. Although I would have like to alleviate that problem, I had to accept that sometimes there is nothing you can really do about certain situations and spending time worrying about it achieves nothing.

I looked up at Trixie and saw that she still had that rather cocky smile of hers. She must be completely oblivious to the fact that no one in the audience was cheering at the moment and instead was more focused on proving how powerful she was as a unicorn. Though I wondered why she would challenge an earth pony first instead of another unicorn. The only reason I could think of was to gain some easy wins and make herself appear stronger then she really is. I was not fooled or impressed so I did the one thing I could do given the situation.

I got up from where I was sitting and started to walk away. The crowd seemed to part away to allow me to leave though I was unsure if it was because of fear or awe. After I went a few paces, I stop and said in a calm voice "I find it kind of sad that you have to challenge non-magical ponies in order to improve your self-esteem 'Great and Powerful' Trixie." I then made my way back to the library with the only sounds now were from the cheering of the audience.

I managed to make it back to the library just as the afternoon sun started to lower in the sky. I gave a tired sigh as my mind was still lost back at the town square with Trixie and the crowd. I had to be honest with myself that even if I had wanted to upstage Trixie and if I had wanted to use my magical abilities, I was not entirely sure that I would be able to win. The reason being was that at this moment I was actually weaker then Trixie was in terms of magical strength.

It doesn't surprise me considering the vow of magical strength I had to take in order to join Luna's personal guard. The vow is a rather complex enchantment that can dramatically boast the magical strength of any unicorn, or earth pony with freaky magical abilities. However, the main drawback was that all of that extra energy had to come from somewhere and it results in the unicorn being weaker when the opposite of what condition you want strengthen. It was rather confusing but all that I really cared about was that I would always be at my best when the moon was out which was why I did all of my training at night these days.

I used my little magic I had to grab a book on night-base creatures and to create a simple dais which I filled with various pillows and blankets. I made my way over and settled down with a blanket over me. I was about to open the book when I heard the door opening. I looked up and saw Twilight walking in. she looked distress and I had to ask "Is everything alright Miss Sparkle." She must have not seen me because she gave a small squeak that I believe was a sound only Fluttershy could create. She looked at me and said "I'm sorry Moonsaber, I…I didn't see you there." I nodded my head in understanding and watched as she started too looked around the library. I knew that she would only be doing that if she was looking for a particular book. Thinking I had nothing better to do at the moment, I asked "What book are you looking for?" she replied "A book about the Ursa. I was curious about Trixie's bragging and I thought I might want to do a little reading up on them." I gave a small smirk as I lifted up the book that she was just looking for and said "You might as well get comfortable as we are going to be here for a while."

I notice the blush that was forming on her face and I could not help myself but give a small chuckle and said "Don't worry I don't bite." I was actually hoping that she would agree as I wanted to talk to her about something a little more on the personal side. I was a little worry that her embarrassment would override her desire for knowledge. Luckily that desire was in fact strong enough that she made her way over to the dais and settled herself down. She used her magic to pull up another blanket and scooted close enough that she was able to see the book but was still able to keep her distance from me. I gave a small smile of understanding and opened to book. Before we could read the first page, Twilight asked "Do you know a lot about the Ursa Major?" I looked at her and replied "And what makes you think that I would know something like that?" she blushed again of embarrassment and stammered "I...I'm sorry…I…I just thought." I stop her with a raised paw and said "Relax Miss Sparkle, I was just kidding. Yes I do know a few things about the Ursa and the other constellation animals that reside in the Forever Free Forest." She looked at me with a confused look and I realized what it was coming from and said "I meant the Everfree Forest. I still forget that King Time had the name shorten to make it easier for ponies to remember and for him to able to forget." She looked confused again and I waived my hoof and said "Forget about it." She nodded her head but I had a feeling that it was not the end of that conversation.

We then started looking over the book. I was surprised at how accurate the book was considering how long it was since a pony has last seen the two Ursas. However, there were a few mistakes that I was able to point out like how the Ursas were mostly tamed and the fact that if you were lucky enough to get the North Star from an Ursa Major, you will have a very powerful compass. I pulled out my own compass to show her the small light that was located on the N which represented north. Twilight asked how I acquired it and I merely replied that it was for helping the Ursa Major out and did not go into any details.

It was then that Spike came into the library. He started talking to Twilight, asking her to stand up to Trixie. I had almost forgotten about her and I took a quick glance at the sky and saw that the sun had almost set and the moon was just about to rise. I figured I had about a few more minutes before I got the majority of my powers and then…well I didn't know what I was going to do then but I was sure that an opportunity would present itself soon.

Spike then left the library and I went back to teaching Twilight about the Ursa. As we were talking, I felt a strange feeling entering my heart. I had always felt a strange connection with Twilight Sparkle and it wasn't until now that I realized why that was. The reason was simple as she reminded of me in the fact that she was always eager to learn more and she was completely loyal to Celestia while I was loyal to Luna. There was also the fact that we both seek the satisfaction of our respected teacher or noble depending on which one of us you asked.

I looked over at Twilight, hoping that I could figure out what to call this strange connection. It was not love as I was still unsure about that and I really didn't want to pursue a relationship at this moment. It took a few minutes before I decided to settle on a sibling bond. Once I had thought of that, I felt a different kind of warmth in my heart and a desire for her to succeed. I was unsure if she was feeling the same way and I decided to ask about it. Before I could open my mouth, Twilight said "Can I ask you something Moonsaber?" I nodded my head and she said in a rather quiet voice that once again reminded me of Fluttershy "Well…I feel like you know me so well so I was just wondering if I could think of you as a big brother." I gave a small smile and rested my hoof on hers and said in a soft tone "Only if I can think of you as a little sister." I saw her smile and she scooted closer so I was now feeling the warmth coming from her body through the blankets. Before we could settle down, we heard the door crash open.

I quickly jumped up, my body reacting to years of instinct. However, I saw that it was Spike who crashed the door open, letting the moonlight in. Twilight asked what was going on and Spike replied that she needed to come outside. I quickly told him that we were not going outside to upstage Trixie and he said it wasn't about that but before he could say what it was, a massive roar sounded off in the night. I replied in a slight worry voice "Is that what I think it is?" and Spike nodded his head and added "Majorly."

Twilight and I ran out of the library and followed the sound of the roar. As we were running, I said "Twilight, get everypony to safety. I will hold the Ursa back but I am going to need your help in getting rid of it." She nodded her head and we doubled our pace.

As we approached the center of the town, the first thing I notice was Trixie doing her best to fight off the Ursa. However, as I had sensed before, she just did not have the magical abilities needed to drive him away. Her talents were more for show then actual combat. Even Twilight would have somewhat of a handicap if combat magic was the only thing needed to drive away an Ursa. It was rather fortunate that we were able to discus other methods besides the direct one. Some were a bit more complicated then I would have liked but then again I am still just a simple knight and not a real thinker.

I was snapped out of my thoughts as I heard the sound of the Ursa's roar. I could tell that he was plenty mad and although a part of me was tempted to give Trixie a taste of her own medicine, my sense of duty override that dark thought and I charged at the Ursa. I did a quick jump into the air and moved my body so I extended my right rear leg in a flying kick.

Now most ponies who did not know about my rather…odd abilities might be wondering why I was crazy enough to be attacking an Ursa head on. They would be thinking that I was going to get my butt kick because what chance does a normal earth pony have against a creature that not even a unicorn was capable of stopping.

Well…all I could saw was that any ponies who were thinking that might have to get their jaws relocated. My hoof connected with the head of the Ursa right where the star was located and with the force of all the recent training I had done plus the added power of my primal earth abilities caused the large bear to get knocked back a few paces. I landed back on the ground and started to channel the magic inside of me. My front hooves started to glow until they form the familiar dragon clock as I like to call it. I also channeled some more magic towards my back legs to give them more strength and while using my tail as an extra balance, I was able to stand on just my back legs.

I brought my front paws up, ready for whatever the Ursa was going to throw next. However, before that happen, I felt the familiar present of Twilight next to me. I looked over to my right and saw her there. I gave a small smile and said "You ready for this?" She looked at me and nodded her head before we returned our attention back to the Ursa.

As the Ursa approached, Twilight started to channel her magic and her horn started to glow. Knowing what she was planning, I channel my own magic and started to command the wind. I felt the rush of air on my mane as we used the wind to break some of the cattail grass that was growing nearby to create a calming song. The song flowed into the Ursa's ear and he started to get more relaxed. We then got to work on the next phase of the plan. Twilight used her magic to lift the water tower nearby and dumped out the water. She then commanded the base of the tower into a nearby barn which we knew had some cows inside. I imagined the cows in my head and used my magic to start milking the cows in an effort to fill up the water tower with milk. Once that was done, I create a small fire in my left front hoof and commanded the heat from the fire to be used in warming up the milk to make it more enjoyable to the Ursa. Once the milk was heated up, Twilight closed the lid and quickly brought the oversized milk bottle to where we were at. It was around this moment that the Ursa loss its balance and almost fell on top of Trixie. However, I sensed what was about to happen and managed to catch the Ursa with my magic. I then lifted the Ursa up into the air while Twilight brought him the milk. He was more than eager to accept the bottle and remain passive as Twilight and I used the last bit of magic we had to send the Ursa back to its home.

Once we were confident that the Ursa was back in the cave, I canceled the flow of magic and returned to being on all fours at the same time as Twilight. I felt a moment of fatigue but considered the sheer amount of energy I could draw from due to the fact that it was nighttime was not as bad as it could have been. I took a moment to see if Twilight was alright and I was reward with yet another small smile from her which I was happy to return. It was only then that we heard the cheering that was coming from the other ponies. I looked back and saw the cheering section lead by some of Twilight's friends.

I notice that Twilight was very quick to apologize for showing off her magic but her friends were quick to remind her that there was a difference between the showing off that Trixie was doing earlier in the day and protecting our friends with our abilities like what we did today. I nodded my head in understanding and said "Well…maybe we can finally get some…" The rest of my sentence was stopped when I felt a familiar presence inside of me. Instantly, the worm of fear cut through my heart and before Twilight could ask what was wrong, I gave a mortified scream and collapsed on the ground. My sudden change shocked everyone there and it took Twilight a few seconds to finally break the shock and tried to see what was wrong with me.

What she saw, and what will become a source of both worry and curiosity, was the strange silver star that was emblazing on my chest. What she did not know and something that I plan for her to not be aware of was what that star symbol represents.

It is the most powerful seal in all of Equestria, The Silver Star Seal.

**Hope you all are enjoying this and I am doing a good job of it. It is nice to receive some constructive reviews about my writing as I always seek to improve myself. I plan on doing two more episodes before starting on the second major plot so as always…**

**Read and Review Please**

**Richer1992**


	10. Chapter 10

**Have a little surprise for you all here in chapter ten. I hope you all enjoy it.**

A Revealing Race

"Fall never looked so lovely" I thought to myself as I made my way over to the starting line in preparation to begin the Running of the Leaves, the annual event held by Ponyville where those competing were to run a marathon through Whitetail Woods. Though most considered it a competition, the real reason the event is held is that the volume of hoof beats causes the leaves to fall down which helps the trees keep most of the nutrients they need in order to survive the long winter. Though most other cities would use magic to cause the leaves to fall or some other method, Ponyville seems to have developed its own way of changing seasons which was something that was both confusing and curious to those who had not lived here before like me and Twilight. Naturally, I had signed up for the race as to not only participate in the event but to also see how well my training has progress so far. The Grand Galloping Gala was coming up in a few months and I wanted to know how well I was progressing.

I looked back on my flank to make sure my number was still secure. I was numbered thirty-six and the piece of paper was covering up my cutie mark and was held together with a special kind of tape that was easy to apply and can be removed while it was attach to hair without causing pain to the pony.

When I got to the front of the starting line, I finally noticed that both Rainbow Dash and Applejack were already there getting ready for the race. They were so focused on warming up that they did not know I was there which was alright by me.

I took a few moments to center my breathing in an effort to calm my nerves before I heard somepony say "Hay Moonsaber, I didn't know you were competing." At first I thought it was coming from Applejack or Rainbow Dash but I quickly remember the voice belonging to Twilight. I looked over at her and saw that she also had a racing number attached to her. I looked at her and said in a bit of a surprise "I should be asking you the same question Twilight? I never pegged you as a pony that competes in races." She merely replied that she was competing only for the sake that the Running of the Leaves was a special event only followed in Ponyville and she was determine to be a part of the event. She then asked why I was competing and I replied that it was just a perfect opportunity for me to see how far my training has gone so far.

It was only around that time that Rainbow Dash and Applejack finally noticed our presence. After a few minutes of them asking us our reason for racing and us giving our answer, Rainbow Dash quickly fell on the ground in a heap of laughter and even Applejack was trying to hold back a few chuckles. I was tempted to give them a stern gaze but decided that the best course of action would be to just ignore them.

It was then that we heard Pinkie Pie and Spike who were acting as the announcers for the race state that said race was about to begin. I got myself into position and I could already feel the excitement flowing through me. It was now my chance to see how far I had progressed.

The horn was sounded and the race was on. I watched as everypony broke into a full gallop right away while I decided to maintain a steady canter at the moment. I knew I needed to conserve my energy so I could have enough to be able to get to the finish line. I was also aware of Twilight next to me, doing her best to keep up with my pace. I gave a small chuckle and slowed down a bit so she didn't have to strain herself. She gave her thanks and I said in a rather joking voice "I guess great minds do think alike." She gave a small giggle and said "Yeah I guess you're right…for a knight anyway." She added in an after tone. I gave a small grunt as I felt my pride get hit and I quickly replied "I'll have you know I have more up in my head then the average banger and whacker." She looked at me and said "Then you could tell me about that weird silver star that appeared on your chest when we took care of the Ursa Minor and Trixie."

The question was asked so quickly and so unexpectedly that I literally had to take a moment to recollect my thoughts. I now wondered if Twilight had actually prepared for this as if she knew how I was going to act and respond. I made a mental note to myself to try and change my habits but then I wondered if I was getting too old for that. After all, I was technically over one thousand years old.

I tried to bluff my way out and said "And what makes you think a star on my chest is important enough that it warrants the attention of Princess Celestia's most prized student?" I saw her face react in a pained look and I quickly felt bad for her. She replied "Well…you were acting all strange when it appeared and…well…I was worried about you." I gave a small sigh and not for the first time, I had to remind myself that this was a different place then what I was used too growing up. However, this was the first time where I truly felt a sense of isolation. Although there was nopony I was particularly close to all those years ago, it was the place and time I was growing up in. I almost felt like an alien now. I quickly realized that Twilight was still waiting for my answer and I gave another small sigh and said "I am a little surprise that Princess Celestia hasn't even taught you how to identify seals yet."

Twilight tilted her head in confusion and replied "Seals…?" I nodded my head and said "A seal is a powerful symbol that can be used for a variety of different magical abilities or spells. The most common and easier ones allow you to be able to use some of you magic to trap whatever it is you need to trap like a pony, animal, even magic." I looked over at Twilight and saw that she had wide focused eyes that clearly told me she was drinking in everything I was saying. I gave a small chuckle and wondered if Celestia had to deal with this face on more than one occasion. Pushing that thought aside, I continued "Now once a seal is in place, it usually does not activate until whatever is sealed inside the magical barrier starts to try and break it. Depending on how much magic you put into the seal and what seal you are using will determine how strong said seal is. Also that while not activated, the seal will remain invisible though there are a few out there that are always visible."

"How do you know so much about seal?" Twilight asked. I looked at her with a stern look and said "Because I needed to use one duh." I gave a tired sigh before apologizing to which she accepted. We were silent for a few moments, content to just keeping our pace and looking at the scenery. We were like that for about four or five minutes before Twilight asked "So…the seal on your chest…what is it holding back." I looked up at the sky and once again wished that my life was not as complicated as it is. I really wish I could enjoy a more simple life where I didn't have to worry about all the things that I had to worry about. However, I had chosen this life and I knew it was not going to be easy and I also knew that I had the strength needed to see things through till the very end. Still…there were those moments. I chose to let out another sigh and said "A monster…that should never be unleashed." Twilight had a horror look to her face and said "A monster?" I nodded my head and wondered how much I should…or was going to tell her. It only took me a few seconds before I replied "A creature I had met and defeated long ago. He is an embodiment of anger, rage, and most of all vengeance." Twilight looked as if she was chocking on her words for a moment before she replied in a soft tone "Are…are we in any danger from it." She sounded so pleading and so worried as if she was well and truly scared of the monster even though she had just heard of it. I knew that it was one of the monster's special tricks. This particular one is that I am unable to talk about him without causing those around me to suddenly get scared. It was just one of his many ways he is able to strike fear into ponies' hearts.

I gave a small smile and said "Don't worry; the seal I have placed on him is long lasting so there is no real threat." Twilight let out an involuntary breath of relief and I looked ahead on the path and said "Well…I think it is about time I wrap-up this little race right now. I am glad that we were able to talk Twilight and I wouldn't put too much worry into my seal or the creature inside of me. I will see you at the finish line." Twilight nodded her head and said "Good luck Moonsaber." Despite myself, I couldn't help but give a small grin and replied "Luck…a knight needs no such thing as luck…only skill."

With that, I quickly broke into a full gallop, leaving Twilight to continue to observe the trees and falling leaves. The speed I was putting off was impressive to say the least and I was able to catch up to the pack in a spam of a few minutes. Most of them turned their heads to see who was coming up the rear and were surprised when they saw me only as what most would describe later as a gust of wind. Before anypony had any idea what had happened, I was now in front of the pack with both Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

The two ponies gave a gasp of surprise and I could not help the pleasurable grin forming on my face. Having ponies underestimate me and then completely blindsiding them leaves a rather unique feeling in my stomach. It was like my stomach was filled up with sweets and that thought only caused the grin on my face to grow wider.

"How in the hay did you managed to catch up so fast?" Rainbow Dash and Applejack said in almost the same time. I looked at one and another before saying "Sorry girls, but you are going to have to do a lot better to beat this old geezer." I put on another burst of energy and started to pull my way ahead of the pack. I could vaguely hear the commentary from Pinkie Pie and Spike and while the bits I gather did mention my sudden take of the lead, they were mostly focused on Rainbow Dash and Applejack. It was something I could understand as I heard Spike telling me when he and Twilight got back from Sweet Apple Acres, I was currently reading over a recent letter from Princess Luna telling me about how well she is doing and hopes that I am adjusting well to the new Equestria, about the Iron Pony Competition that was held and the grudge match that followed.

After that…well I kind of lost my awareness for what was around me. The only thing my mind was focused on at the time was controlling my body to keep up the pace I was at and making sure I was heading in the right direction. There were times when I felt like I was did not have the endurance to go on but somehow I was able to find that extra bit of strength to continue my pace. I knew right then that I was achieving the skill level I except with myself at this moment but I knew I was far from the skill I wanted to be when I take the Champion Test.

So it came to my surprise when I heard the sound of cheering and I found myself already at the finish line. I was a little proud with myself that I was able to come in first place and the fact that I had achieved a rather impressive time. Although I was feeling all the success I had done, in my heart there was a sense of sadness. I knew what was born from that and although I kept trying to tell myself that it was for the best…I knew full well that I had intentionally lied to Twilight.

**Well…I guess I should explain something about this chapter. I had wanted to do a song chapter here but I was unable to figure out a way to do so without ruining the flow of the story or causing any more confusion then what I had intended. I apologize for that and if you are curious as to what song I wanted to use, it was "Escape from the City" by Ted Poley, Tony Harnell, and SEGA. I guess you could listen to it while reading this chapter if you want. Once again I apologize for that and I hope you all will…**

**Read and Review Please**

**Richer1992**


	11. Chapter 11

**Here is the next chapter for you all to enjoy.**

Art of the Suit

"I hope this is good enough…" I mused as I looked over the parchment I had laid out in front of me. On the parchment was a rather crude drawing of a male pony wearing what appeared to be a formal suit of some kind. The parchment was littered with dozens of notes and arrows so that it was almost impossible to tell what the suit was even going to look like. I gave a tired sigh and not for the first time that day was gladded that my special talent did not lean towards fashion design.

I knew, and it didn't help that I had to receive a letter from Luna to remind me, that since I was going to attend the Grand Galloping Gala this year, I was going to need to wear formal clothing. However, being the pony I was, I didn't pack any sort of clothing before my banishment and even if I did, I would probably be ridicule by Rarity and the others for wearing something that was over one thousand years out of style. The problem force me to try and come up with a design for myself to use in formal gathering because if the guards were anything like they were a thousand years ago, the Grand Galloping Gala wasn't going to be the only time I would have to wear formal attire and I needed something that both matches my personality and was also light-weight and form fitting.

I gave a tired sigh as I folded up the piece of paper and placed it inside my traveling bag. I then lifted the bag up with my mouth and secured it to my body. Making sure that it was in place, I then made my way over to Rarity's shop, a place that I have been to a few times before but never to get a new suit.

The walk to her shop was pleasant and uneventful which was a little bit strange considering that ever since I was living here in Ponyville, we should have had at least a single crises by now. Maybe it was a slow day or something but I really was not complaining.

I managed to reach her shop and made my way inside. I was a little surprised by the lack of activity but I quickly surmised that it might be because Rarity was currently working on her dress for the Gala. I had heard her mention it on several occasions. I was trying to decide wither or not to go upstairs to ask her about my suit design and while a part of me wanted to respect her privacy, I was in dire need of a new suit and I am sure Rarity won't mind having to do mine in addition to hers. I made my way upstairs to her workshop and it was then that I notice the voices of Twilight and Applejack. I took a look inside and saw that they were both looking at the dress that Rarity was currently working on. Without really thinking about it, I made my way in the room and said in a soft tone so as to try and not bother Rarity "Will you leave Rarity alone for a moment, she's trying to work."

They both turned to face, the surprise evident on their faces. They were able to recover quickly and Twilight said "But I need to ask Rarity something." I nodded my head and replied "Twilight, if there is one thing I have learn while I was a member of the Royal Guard is that you never interrupt a lady when she is in the middle of a task." It was at that point that Rarity appeared to finally acknowledge that we were here and said "I am glad that at least some pony here has some manners…Now is there something I can help you with dear?"

Twilight gave a quick apology before reaching into her saddlebag to pull out a rather simple red dress with a loose button on it. She explained that it was going to be her dress for the Grand Galloping Gala. I could already see the subtle look of distaste in Rarity's eyes as she looked over the dress and it did not take her long to decide what she was going to do. She politely told Twilight that the dress was not going to work for the Gala and that she was going to need a new one, which Rarity was more than happy to make. Twilight tried refuse but Rarity didn't represent the Element of Generosity for nothing and it didn't take much convincing for Twilight to agree.

What surprised me was that Rarity was extending the same offer to Applejack. I was rather curious as to why Applejack wanted to even attend such a formal party when the only thing she wanted to do was sell apples. To me, it was not that good of a reason to begin with considering how the ponies up in Canterlot generally act but I kept that opinion to myself for the moment as I continue to watch the events going on. It was after Applejack finally agreed to have Rarity make a dress for her that Rainbow Dash suddenly crashed into the workshop and into a pile of fabric and manikins. She apologized for the mess but I could see the gears working in Rarity's head. Sure enough she came up with an idea that was both simple and would help her business out. She proclaim that she would make dresses for all of her friends and then host a fashion show to…well…showcase them. Although I was not that big on fashion shows myself, I could understand the reason why Rarity would decide to host one.

"Now was there something I can do to help you sir?" Rarity asked snapping me out of my thoughts. I blinked for a few seconds before saying "I'm sorry Miss…my mind was somewhere else at the moment. If it is not too much trouble, I would like to ask you if you can make this suit for me to wear for the Gala." I reached into my own saddlebag and pulled out the rough draft that I had been working on. Rarity used her magic to levitate the piece of paper out of my mouth and proceed to study it. I was unable to see her face at the moment but when she lowered the parchment I was able to see the determination in her eyes. She replied that the design was adequate enough that she would be able to get it done in time for the Gala. Applejack then went on to ask how Rarity was going to be able to make six dresses and a suit in such a short time. I couldn't help but give a small chuckle and replied "It is not that hard Applejack. All she needs is a good montage as well as a song." Twilight was about to ask if I was alright in the head but I didn't give her the chance because I shouted "Cue epic montage!"

_One Epic Montage Later_

I was watching with anticipation as Rarity's friends started to make their way into the room to see their new dresses. I was a little disappointed that mine was not complete at the moment but I let it slide when I reminded myself that I just had to have a part in making the suit. Rarity agreed to the condition if not for the fact that it lighten up the amount of work she had to do. When they all got into position, Rarity allowed them to open their eyes and I saw them gasp. However, I was slightly confused as to why the gasps sounded more like shock then surprise. As Rarity went on to describe each of the dresses, I continued observing them and saw the disappointment in their eyes and wondered why that was there.

When Rarity was finished, her friends started too stammered on about how much they like the dresses. However, it was clear to me that they were less then enthralled about it which caused my blood to boil a bit. I took a deep breath and said in a calm tone that betrays my annoyance "Is that how you all really feel about them?" It was then that Rainbow Dash was the first to admit that the dress was not what she had expected and one by one the others agreed. I could see the disappointment on Rarity's face but it happened in an instant and she went on to say that the dresses were only a rough design and she wanted her friends to be absolutely happy with their new outfits. I wisely chose to remain quiet as I didn't trust myself to speak.

As Rarity's friends left, I looked over at her and saw the worry in her eyes which I figured were being caused by the reality of the amount of work she was going to have to do. I wanted to say something to comfort her but I was never good with those kinds of situations and my lack of inexperience stayed my tongue. I had to remind myself that I was only good for standing still and killing.

_Another Montage Later_

I looked at the final designs for the new 'dresses' that Rarity had made. However, saying dresses was being used in the broadest of terms. To me, it looked like something that could only be created by a blind pony with about as much fashion sense as a rock. However, as Twilight and the other started to make their way into the shop and when they first got a look at their new 'dresses' I saw the joy fill their eyes that only seemed to put me in a darker mood. It was made worse by the fact that there was still the fashion show that was going to take place but I figured that as long as there was no pony there that had actual influence in the fashion industry then Rarity wouldn't be hurting too much.

The moment I thought that was the moment that I instantly regretted it. The reason being was that at that particular moment, Spike barged through the door and practically shouted what was on his mind. Apparently, he managed to get one of Equestria's premier fashion buff named Hoity Toity to come and make an appearance at Rarity's fashion show. While the others were congratulating Rarity, I could see the fear growing in her eyes as the realization was starting to set in. If Rarity were to showcase these 'dresses' in front of Hoity Toity, her business would plummet faster than a falling apple. However, the look on her friends' faces made it clear they were not going to wear the original ones that she had made.

_A Few Days Later_

The crowd was continuing to gather around the stage that was set up outside next to Rarity's shop. I was looking out from the curtain, waiting and watching for the one pony that was going to make or break Rarity's business. It was not long coming before I saw the flashy dress and overdone mane that symbolize the presence of Hoity Toity. He was walking in a regal fashion that most ponies that have been living in Canterlot have developed. While Canterlot was mostly a unicorn city, there were a few earth and pegasus ponies that live their due to their status.

When he had taken his seat, I pulled my head from the curtain and looked over at Rarity who was almost in a state of panic. I wanted to say something to inspire confidence and to reassure her but I felt that they would be useless and would do nothing to change the situation. We both knew what was going to happen this night but that didn't make things any easier. So all I just said was "He's here." She nodded her head and I let the DJ know that it was time to begin. She nodded her head and set the record down on the turntable. I got the light on and listen to Spike as he started to read off the script that we had come up with. All in all, the opening went off without a hitch but it was at the moment that the curtain was up was when everything started to come crashing down.

Twilight and the others made their way onto the center platform. While their movements were accurate in what is to be expected from a fashion show, the 'dresses' that they were wearing were the center of attention. I could already see the look of distaste among those present and I felt my heart start to sink. I had hope beyond hope that they wouldn't be too judgmental about the 'dresses' but alas that was not how the fashion industry worked.

Sure enough, after seeing the 'dresses', the fashion expert was quick to voice his opinion. He was trained to make sure everyone knew how he felt and his words were considered to be very reliable. I gave a tired sigh and took a quick glance at Rarity, hoping to try and show her with my face that it was not really her fault that this happen and if there was to be any blame, it should be with Twilight and the others for pushing you to make these abominations. She ignored me and continues to watch her business flush down the toilet.

It was then that the Hoity Toity asked to see the identity of the designer of the eyesores that he had to see. While I wanted to keep Rarity hidden from the disapproving gaze of those out there, the desire to admit her failing and the fact that Spike was encouraging her was enough for her to step out on the stage. I watched for a few moments before making my own way off the stage in the back, a small growl emanating from clench teeth.

A few days have passed since the fashion show and I found myself tending to Rarity shop. Rarity herself had retreated to her bedroom and has since refuse to see anyone or even coming out. I was force to send food up to the bedroom and leave it in front of the door. She would eventually retrieve the food and eat it inside her room before placing the discarded items outside the door for me to clean up.

Now…normally I would out training at the moment but I felt partially responsible for what happen and also I was still working to get my own suit done in time for the Gala. At first it was going rather well but even since Rarity's isolation, progress had slowed down a bit.

It was then that I heard the door opening and I looked up to see who it was. My eyes narrowed when I saw that it was Twilight and the others. My piercing gaze was enough to even make Applejack flinch a little. It was then that I said in a rather low voice "Is there something I can help you with?"

Twilight, assuming the leader role that I had seen her take countless time before, said "We are here to check up on Rarity since she hasn't come out of her house in days." I gave a small grunt of annoyance and replied "Rather she hasn't step out of her room in days…besides, what makes you think she would want to see you five." Twilight then responds by saying "Because we are her friends and that what friends do." I nodded my head in mock understanding and said "Uh huh…yeah…friends also are not so overly critical about gifts that were generously given to them by their friend." I then gestured to the stairs and added "You can try though…I'm not going to stop you." Twilight nodded her head and with the others, made their way up the stairs. I watched them go for a little bit before getting back to work. I was so caught up in it that I didn't notice the others leaving the shop only a few minutes later.

Two days later, I was cleaning one of the stages that Rarity would use to display her dresses when I heard the cry of a cat. It sound a bit like Opel, the cat Rarity own who I had seen from time to time but never really paid much attention to it. It was then that I heard the sound of hooves galloping down and I was fast enough to see Rarity coming down the stairs. I notice that she was still wearing that pink robe she had and how unkempt her mane was but she had the look of mild worry concern. I quickly followed her outside and I saw that Opel was stuck in a tree. However, Rarity and I both saw who the one responsible for placing her was.

It was Rainbow Dash. I said to her "Really Rainbow…if this is your idea of a prank then you seriously need some help. What was the point of putting Opel up in a tree anyway?" She looked at me and gave a broad grin before saying "Well…how else were we going to get Rarity out here to show her this."

I looked over to my left and saw what that 'this' was. It was Rarity's Gala dress; all completed now and surrounded by Rarity's other friends. I gave a small smile as I realized that the dress was their way of apologizing to Rarity. I sat back and watched as Rarity went and examined the dress from every angle. Even though she looked like she was deep in thought and slightly disappointed, I could see the joy hiding underneath and it was not long before she let the others know about it. Sure enough, Rarity was more than happy to accept her friends' apologies; however, there was still the matter of the destroyed business. Luckily for Rarity, I was able to convince Hoity Toity to stay in Ponyville for a few more days after the fashion show and he just so happen to reveal himself at this moment. As before, Twilight and I seemed to work off the same brain wave because we both said at the same time "Maybe not…"

We managed to convince Mr. Toity to give Rarity one more chance and this time there was going to be no mistakes. Rarity's friends all agree to wear the dresses that Rarity first designed and as luck would have it; I had just managed to complete my own suit for the Gala and I figured that it might be a good idea to show it off now. The others went through their performances rather well and I saw as each outfit was stunning Hoity Toity more than the last. When Fluttershy was done, I made my way onto the stage in amidst my own lightshow spectacular.

What he saw was the appearances of several mountains and a figure jumping around them like a mountain lion. The figure then crashed on the ground and was revealed to be myself wearing my new suit. The suit itself was a rather simple design since I wanted something comfortable rather then elegant. The main color was silver to off-set my blue coat and was finished with a rather simple bowtie that was set with a moonstone. My hair was wax and pulled back giving me a princely look to me and I was wearing a small smile on my face. The one thing that was noticeable was the small blue cape that was set so that I was able to drape it over my left front hoof when I needed to.

All in all, the fashion show was a complete success. I had gotten a new suit, Rarity got some new business, the spirits of Harmony were now ready for the Gala in terms of their outfit and even Twilight was able to write to the Princess about a new lesson on friendship…yep it was a good day in my book.

**O…M…C, this took WAY longer then I would have liked. I have no idea what is wrong with me and I do apologize for this very late chapter update. I guess it is all the college stuff I have been dealing with in addition to some other things that keep me distracted. I also want to say that I have no sense of fashion on me when I was coming up with Moonsaber new suit so I kind of left it for you all to figure out what his suit might actually looked like. Anyhow, I thank you all for your patience and understanding and I will try to get more chapters out as soon as I am able to.**

**Read and Review Please**

**Richer1992**


	12. Chapter 12

**Here we go. Tonight's the big night and the section that I have been looking forward to writing for some time now. I hope you all enjoy it as well.**

The Road to the Champion's Test

I was standing in front of a mirror in one of Rarity's smaller dressing room. Considering the simple fact that I was a colt was all the reason needed for me to secure my own room. I was a little confuse by it considering I had already seen them all without any clothes but then again I will never understand a filly's mind anytime soon.

I saw in the mirror the same bland looking expression that masked the excitement and worry I was feeling in my body. I knew that tonight was going to decide my destiny and I wanted to make sure that I had both my mind and body clear. I took a few deep breaths and started to get my new suit on. It felt kind of weird to be going to the Gala after I promised myself that I would never attend one again. Then I had to remind myself that if I didn't attend, I wouldn't have met my lifelong friends. I wondered what they were doing at this moment but it was only a fleeting thought and the sound of knocking on the door let me know that the others were ready.

I opened the door and saw Spike waiting for me on the other side. He looked calm but I could see the joy that was hidden underneath. It made me wonder what my own eyes looked like before I had to remind myself that they were the same as they always were cold and calculating.

Spike then said "The others are waiting for us in the carriage." I nodded my head and replied "Well…we mustn't keep the girls waiting for much longer now do we Spike." Spike shook his head in agreement and we started to make our way out of the store. I watched as Spike was spending the time trying to adjust the bowtie on his suit and I could see that his face seemed out of there for some odd reason. I felt the need to pry for the reason for his strange behavior but the time I had spent in Ponyville has taught me to be a little more held back in terms of asking what was wrong with someone.

My curiosity was sated when Spike asked "Do you think the girls' dream of the Gala will come true?" I looked off at where the carriage was as my mind went through all the possible scenarios that would happen. It was true that deep down inside of me, I hoped that they would get what they want in the Gala. However, as a knight, I was trained to take a more realistic approach. It was that mindset that leads me to say "Honestly…no. Their idea of the Gala is only a fantasy and unless it has changed much in the last one thousand years, then they will not enjoy the Gala." I paused for a moment before adding "What is it that you want to do while at the Gala Spike?" I must have caught him off guard with my question because he stumbled a bit. However, he managed to recover and replied "I was kind of hoping that we all could spend the time at the Gala…together." I nodded my head and said "Out of all the dreams and plans I heard from the others, yours is actually the most likely to happen. However, I regret to tell you that I will have business of my own to take care of while the Gala is going on." Spike looked at me and asked "what kind of business?"

I stopped for a moment as I tried to decided wither or not I should tell Spike about the Championship Test. Part of me wanted to because he had been a really good friend to me and was supportive of the fact that I thought of Twilight as a kind of sister and she thought of me as a brother. However, there was still the part of me that wanted to with hold that information as the knowledge behind it might be enough to frighten the young dragon. I was a predicament but I managed to decide on a plan of only giving out a partial truth and hoping that he doesn't press of more information. It was that idea in mind that was the reason I responded by saying "I'm going to be helping out the Princess with something."

Spike looked at me and asked "Celestia?" To which I shook my head and said "No, Luna. She hasn't been feeling so well and I figure a familiar face will cheer her up." I might have been stretching the truth a bit but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen this night…something that would change everything.

I shook my head from the thoughts. The last thing I needed was to get all philosophical when I had a match coming up. I needed to keep my head in the game right now and not worry about anything else. I just hope that Luna was able to do what I asked her to do in time.

It was at that moment that we exited the store and I saw that the carriage was all ready to go. The two colts that Rarity convinced to pull the carriage were already hooked up and ready to go. I thought that the addition of the bowtie was a nice touch and I had a feeling that Rarity had a hoof in that department. Spike managed to get up to where the reins were located and got settled down before asking "Are you going inside the carriage?" I shook my head and said "I don't want to be trap in a carriage with six girls yapping on about everything that I don't want to hear. Besides, I like walking more anyway; helps keep the blood flowing."

Without any real way to reply to that statement, Spike decided to drop the conversation and we were on our way to Canterlot. I took a glance at the sun and I was able to tell by the angle that we should be able to reach the castle by the time night fell. As we were walking along the path, I asked Spike to see if he had managed to acquire all of the tickets that we had gotten. He managed to pull them out of his suit to show me and I nodded my head to let him know that I saw them. For the most part, the trip was mostly quiet for Spike and me but I could hear the conversations that were going on inside the carriage. I was able to pick up a few words here and there but nothing concrete.

I was actually so engrossed on my own thoughts about the Gala that I almost missed seeing the checkpoint that we needed to pass in order to get into Canterlot Castle. I even missed the fact that it was now night time and I gave myself a mental slap before saying to Spike in a hushed tone "Hand me the tickets and let me do the talking." Spike nodded his head and handed the tickets to me before acting as if he knew exactly what was going on. I had to give it to Spike; he was a good actor to say the least.

Now normally these checkpoints are unponied during times of peace but whenever there is a major event going on in Canterlot Castle, like the Grand Galloping Gala, Celestia decided that in order to prevent ponies from sneaking into the event was to create a barrier that would deny anypony accesses into Canterlot airspace. The only way through the barrier was through the various checkpoints set up. This is where the tickets come in as they are used as a way for the guards to keep track of the number of guests that are coming in. that information is then sent via magic to the current captain on duty whose sorts out all of the information of ponies arriving so they can see who has checked in and who is left. Once all guests are accounted for, the guards at the checkpoint were free to return to the castle to perform their normal duties. The barrier doesn't prevent ponies from leaving but once you leave, you will be unable to return.

As I made my way up to the checkpoint, I noticed the rather lay back atmosphere that was present. The checkpoint was manned by two guards from the Pegasus division and one from the Unicorn division. However, only the one unicorn guard took any notice to the fact that I was there while the others were merely sleeping. If I wanted to, I could have easily incapacitated the unicorn before the two pegasus even realized what had happen. It was very sloppy work that reflected the long amounts of peace Equestria has had.

I stopped in front of the guard and waited for him to address me. I looked him over and notice that he was ranked as a staff sergeant which might go to explain why he was still up despite his comrades dosing off. "They must be new recruits" I mused before the unicorn asked "How many?" I did a quick head count before replying "Two earth ponies, two fliers, three unicorns, and one baby dragon." The guard nodded his head and handed me two buttons as I was handing him the tickets. The two buttons were for the wagon pullers and it would just to let the guards know that they were only there to transport the guests to the Gala.

Once all that was done with, I made my way back to the carriage and said to Spike "We are able to pass now." He nodded his head and we got back on the road. The moment we passed the checkpoint, I started counting in my head. I was glad that the Spike didn't want to talk to me at the moment as I needed this time to concentrate on my counting.

Once I had reached the number of two hundred, I said "Can you hold up a minute Spike." Spike stopped the carriage and asked "Why Moonsaber?" I gave a small smile and replied "Need to pick up an old friend." Before Spike could ask what I meant, I made my way into the nearby shrubs. The road was silent except for the rustling of the brushes. However, there was a quick gasp of surprise from Spike when he saw my 'friend'.

It was my sword that I had given up to Luna after the whole Nightmare Moon incident, the blade was refurbished as well as gained a new edge on it without messing up the overall design. I was a little surprise that there were still blade smith around but I then quickly guessed that this might have been the work of a blacksmith and not a blade smith which were a lot more common back in the time when guards were actually require to have practical swords and not ceremonial ones.

I had to be honest with myself; I hadn't been feeling all too comfortable without my sword. I had been trained to always take comfort with a weapon strapped on my back and the lack of one had given me a sense of nakedness. I knew I was capable of defending myself fine without my sword but it doesn't replace the feeling of having a trusty weapon nearby. I was walking over to the carriage, working on getting the last strap in place with my mouth while easing the blade out of it scabbard part ways with my tail to feel if it would be a smooth draw of not. I gave a small smile when I heard the familiar hissing sound of the blade running through the oiled scabbard. I looked up at Spike and I couldn't stop the grin on my face as I said "Now we are ready for the Gala." Spike wisely chose to remain quiet but I could tell that he was every bit as curious about how my sword ended up the shrubs or why I even needed my sword for the Gala. While they were good questions to ask, I had no real intention of replying to them. If everything goes as well as I hope, there won't need to be a reason to answer those questions.

After a few more minutes of walking, we finally reached Canterlot Castle. Even after seeing it for so long, it still has a rather haunting effect on me. The high towers and complex design seemed to radiate both power and beauty which while thinking about it was sort of how you could describe the two Royal Sisters. Already the line was packed in front of the main gate as everypony who was of importance was arriving. We had already gotten to our place and I found myself feeling the pent up energy and excitement flowing through me. However, I knew that Luna and, maybe more importantly, the Champion were watching me at the time and I needed to maintain a sense of calm and control. When we finally got to the spot where we were dropping off the guests, Spike quickly got to work opening the door while I maintain my position. I had a strange feeling that the girls were going to break into song soon and I wanted to use that as cover to enter the castle. So I waited behind the carriage, making sure to let the two colts who were pulling it know where to go, until that moment and once they started singing, I started to ghost through the crowd, trying to make myself as inconspicuous as possible. I knew it was pointless and all but it was better than making a big ruckus about it and it might even go as far as to intimidate the Champion a bit, seeing me able to blend myself in the crowd to let him know how good I was.

I managed to make it to the castle gate just as the song was half-way over. I slipped inside and made my way past the greeting chamber where Celestia was and started heading down empty hallways, knowing that my greatest challenge was almost here.

**Wanted this chapter to be longer but I also wanted to get a chapter done before my break so I had to compromise. As always…**

**Read and Review Please**

**Richer1992**


	13. Chapter 13

**The test has been long overdue. I find it surprising that I am updating this more than my other stories. I guess I just hate leaving things unfinished. Anyhow, here is chapter thirteen for you all to enjoy.**

The Champion Test Part 1

The only sound was the echoing of my hooves on the polished stone floor. It was a hunting experience to say the least and I felt a sense of destiny over me. It was as if the treads of fate were finally weaving together to see who would be coming out of this. The very thought was sending chills up my spine.

As I traveled through the hallways, I was able to faintly hear the sounds of the Gala, tempting me to join in the event and forget about the Test. However, I couldn't quiet now, not when I am so close to the end. All I needed to do was to beat the Champion of the Sun and I would become the new Champion of the Moon.

Then…and only then will all the stains of my past be forgiven and I can return to the castle without fear of ridicule or teasing.

Almost as if the castle itself was reading my mind, memories of my past started to surface. Memories that had long since been forgotten brought on by the malevolent creature that resides in the darkest reaches of my heart. They started out minor, only bits and flashes of emotions that seemed to burst and fade away as a firework. I merely took them into account before letting them dissipate. This was not the first time these memories would resurface but it was the first time it happen while I was awake.

However, they did stop nor lessen as the emotions now started to linger as if trying to draw me to embrace them. I tried to resist but it was a foolish endeavor. The monster knew what memories it took to make me feel the way it wanted me to feel.

The visions of my past started to barrage my already fragile mind. I have tried to maintain a somewhat tough exterior around other ponies but those closest to me would know that it was just a ruse. The visions became more descriptive and more forceful and I found myself barely able to stand. It was not long before I had no choice but to slip into semi-consciousness. My body collapses onto the ground and the only thing I was able to see and hear were the visions that plagued my mind and my heart.

The first vision that plagued my mind was of my childhood…when my father found out about my performance in Knight School. I could feel the sadness and the wound of the past opening up again as his booming voice was yelling at the top of his lungs. It happened in an instant and I found myself back at Knight School, being teased and made fun of by the other knights for being the weakest of the class.

My eyes opened in shock to find myself in the one memory that I wanted nothing more than to forget. I could feel the heat of the inferno and hear the screams of the dying. My body cringed at the scene as the tears started to form in my eyes. It was then that the voice of the monster sounded in my head, his voice was a mixture of alluring calmness and self-assurance…like that of a snake.

"Soon…all of Equestria will burn with the fires of my anger and your desire for power." The voice said and I found myself now watching ponies that I was familiar with coming out of the fire. I stood there in horror as the charred figures of Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Twilight and the others were staggering out a few paces before collapsing on the ground. I felt my heart ripping in my heart as the voice said "There is no escape from this fate. You will be known as the pony that will bring about the fall of Equestria."

"NO!" I shouted at the top of my lungs and opened my eyes to find myself back in the hallway. I was on the floor still and I quickly reached down to my chest and felt around until I was able to feel the warm glow of the Silver Star Seal, which meant that it was still in use. Even as I held my hoof there, I felt it cooling down as I tried to get my breathing to return to normal.

"It was worse than last time…" I thought to myself as I tried to get my shaking legs to stand again. It took a while but once I did, I made my way forward, knowing that it was almost time for the Test.

I just hoped that I will be able to win. I felt all of my actions, everything that I have done or not done were all leading me to this moment and I was not sure what was going to happen if I won or lost. Both paths have their rewards and their challenges and they were both in equal values to me that it made it almost impossible for me to decide what I wanted most. I gave a small sigh and said in a depressed quiet tone "If only Master Twinblade was around, he would know." I started to make my way up some stairs, my thoughts long away from my body. It actually took me a few minutes before I realized that I was still heading to the Arena and even more surprising was the fact that I was already there.

The Arena was not a type of Arena you would expect. Rather, it was just a large open area that was at the mercy of the elements. The floor of the Arena was depicted with the image of the sun and the moon placed in such a way that there was no body that stood out more than the other. It was a constant reminded to all who compete here that we serve under the equal powers and authority of both the sun and the moon. However, my attention was focused less on the scenery and more on the only pony that was present here.

It was The Champion of the Sun. the champion was wearing full plate armor that made it impossible to tell what the gender was and any other defining features so I quickly assumed he was a stallion by the way he seems to carry himself. I was a little surprise to find that he was actually a little shorter then myself even though I guess his age to be around my own (minus a thousand years of course). The armor was gold plated with streaks of orange weaving through. I tried to get a closer look and was able to barely see small trails of white light running along the orange streaks; as if the white light represented the magic flowing through the Champion's body. The reason I say that was because I was able to see the clearly visible unicorn horn coming out of the armor's helmet. A sheath was strapped onto his right side and at the moment his sword was still there.

All in all, I figured that I was going to be dealing with a powerful opponent. If he is a unicorn, then there is a very good chance that Celestia would have taught him some solar abilities. His armor also strikes a familiar cord in my mind but I was unable to place it at the time. All this I took in as I made my way near the center of the Arena. The Champion didn't miss a beat and made his way over as well. I notice that as he was walking, he was doing so with both precision and confidence which was only possible if you are familiar with the savage beauty of combat. Any thoughts of this being a pushover was quickly pushed out of my mind. As I got closer, I was able to feel the power emanating from him and I knew right then and there that this pony knew what he was doing.

Once we got within a few feet from each other, the Champion said in a very deep voice that betrayed his rather small build "So…you finally decided to show up." I gave a small smirk that betrayed the small worm of doubt that was plaguing my heart. Powerful or not, he stood in the way between me and freedom from all of my pass sins and I was determined to give it my all. With the small still on my face, I replied "I wouldn't miss this for the world." I kept my eyes focused on his…or at least where I thought his eyes were since it was kind of hard to tell he was wearing a helmet that covered his entire face. He then gave a small grunt and replied in a rather mocking tone "Smaller then what I would expect from a one-thousand year old traitor and murder to look like…" I knew it was an attempt to goad me into attacking but I was not too fazed by it and replied with the grin still on my face "Well…what can I say, the centuries have been good on me." He gave another grunt of un-amusement which was actually starting to bug me a bit. He then replied "Yes, I can see that…however, I wonder how…"

I never got to hear the end of that sentence, not that I was sure I wanted to, before I heard a faint whooshing sound. Reacting quickly, I was just barely able to dodge the overhead strike from the Champion's sword. It landed on the floor with a dull clack at the same time I landed on my hooves, with my sword already in my mouth. The Champion continued to look at me and I had a strange feeling that he was snickering under that helmet. He lifted his sword back up with his magic and said "Well well well…this might be more enjoyable then I had originally thought."

I gave a small smile of my own amusement but it never was present in my eyes as I replied "I was just thinking the same thing." The Champion rested his sword in his mouth and said "Well then…shall we begin?" to which I replied "I thought you never asked."

**The battle has begun and now we will watch to see who emerges from this test victorious…and who losses their life. Will Moonsaber be able to defeat the Champion of the Sun? Will he become the Champion of the Moon? Will he conquer the demon within himself? Will I ever motivate myself to write more chapters? The answers to most of these questions and more, on the next exciting chapter of Knight of the Moon.**

**Read and Review Please**

**Richer1992**


	14. Chapter 14

**Here we go with chapter fourteen for the enjoyment of all those who have taken the time to actually read my bad work.**

The Champion Test Part 2 (The Fall of a Star)

To say that I was seriously outmatched…would have been an understatement at this point. I found myself behind a rock wall that I had to conjure up in order to protect myself from the Champion's magical attacks. Looking back at what had happen all seemed as if it was some kind of blue but yet at the same time was shown in my eyes with perfect clarity.

The Champion of the Sun seemed content to just stay where he was at and let me do the actual work of getting close to him to attack. I had wondered a bit about why he had not followed up on his advance and part of me wanted to wait to see what he was going to do next. However, I was not known for my patience and I ran straight up to him to deliver a series of fast strikes in order to break his guard. My next surprise for the night was how fast he was actually moving. His sword seemed to be alive and also appeared to use no more energy then what was needed to block or deflect my attack. All in all, I was dealing with a very strong opponent. At first, we battled it out with a test of arms and while I was unable to break through his guard to land a decent hit, he seemed able to find the opening in my defenses rather easily and was quick to exploit them. Most of them were minor injuries though I was feeling a small throbbing where my ribs were when he butted me away with the flat of his sword which might have caused a rib to bruise.

After that went on for a few minutes (though it was hard to tell how long we were actually going at it), I decided to try and best him through magical powers. I had hoped that due to the relative peace that Equestria had, the Champion may not be verse in combat magic like I was and I might be able to overcome him and create an opening to finish him off. Once again I was mistaken as the Champion started to prove his skills in magic and I was once again found myself on the defensive as I was dodging the fireballs that he was summoning and the pillars of fire. I eventually had to create a wall of earth as a temporary cover spot while I planned out my next move.

This was where I was, still behind to this point with no plan coming to mind and doubt of my own skills flowing through my heart. I tried to think of something but every idea that came to mind would take too long for me to do. The reason being is that one of my faults with my magic is that it takes me a little longer then a normal unicorn to access my store of energy and I need to perform some various obscure hand gestures for some of my spells which added up on my time. In a fight like this, time was not something I could afford to waste. I groaned in frustration on my lack of coming up with any bright ideas which was somewhat of a surprise considering that I had a little more up there than the usual guard…though it pales in comparison to what a pony who spends most of their time studying. I would never say this to Twilight but she has already surpassed me in terms of general knowledge. It was only in the field of magical combat where I had her beat.

I shook my head to clear the distracting thoughts and tried to get my mind back to the present. It was no good for me to keep dwelling on things that have already happened and there was nothing I could do to change them. The only thing I needed to worry about was how to break through the Champion's defenses. My first thought was to stay behind cover and fire off some magical shots but I quickly cast that aside as the shots would be very inaccurate from my current position and even if some were to reach their target, he would more than likely just swat them away like flies. I couldn't break cover as I could feel him already with a spell that I was sure would be release the moment he saw a patch of fur. This means that whatever I need to do, I need to do it while still in cover and be able to attack him with something that had a good chance of hitting him. Of course, I shouldn't have to worry about him moving at all since he seems content to just stand there.

It was then that something clicked in my mind and I looked at the cover I had created. It was a rather basic wall of rock that was able to resist extreme heat like the spells the Champion was using a few minutes ago. However, looking at it now, I saw the potential for an offensive weapon. "If nothing else" I thought "It should unbalance him enough that I will be able to get in close and land a decent hit. I heard him talking but I ignored it as the only thing that he had been saying for the past few minutes were generally insults in an attempt to goad me to doing something brash and stupid. I got next to the rock wall and placed my hind legs on the surface. I then started to channel some magic into my legs while making sure that the power increase would not be noticed by the Champion. Once I had felt that it was good enough, I went through the plan one more time in my head as I had a feeling that I was going to get only one shot at this and he won't fall for it a second time. In my mind, I saw the sequence of events as I saw them happening over and over again. I focused myself to make it seem almost instinctive and as my master had said many times before "A good knight practices a move until he gets it right, but a better knight practice a move until he never gets it wrong" (Special shout out for anyone who can figure out what that saying was based on.).

I felt myself ready and could feel that the moment was at hand. I brought my hind legs back and thrust as hard as I could against the rock wall. Rather than shattering, the wall started sliding along the path…on a direct course with the Champion of the Sun. Not missing a beat, I spun around on my forelegs and charged towards the Champion and the wall. I heard him gasping in surprise and felt the nature of his magic change to counter the rock wall. I couldn't help myself but be a little impressed by the magic abilities the Champion had as it took considerable amount of energy and concentration to change a nature of a spell into something completely different.

The rock wall shattered as I expected it would. I knew that he would be able to counter it and had formed my plan around it. If the rock wall had caused some damage to him then that would have been better but I tried to plan for the less than perfect scenario. I jumped into the air and summoned my cloak to which I then used to pull out my sword. Once it was free, I channeled my magic to the blade and it started to glow a purplish-black mist. I used a little more energy to clear the rocks away from me as prepared my strike. I could barely see him through the dust but I was able to make out the general outline. I then said in my mind so he would not hear me coming "Lunar Arts: First Quarter Strike." I then spun around in the air once to get as much force and momentum as I could before performing a horizontal slash aimed at the spot where I believe to be where his neck was.

I heard the sound of metal striking metal and felt a strong resistance. The dust was starting to clear up and my eyes went wide at what I saw.

The Champion sword had managed to stop my own sword. It was glowing in an orange-like light which I quickly assumed was Solar energy. The spot where our two swords connected was causing electricity to strike out in every direction. I did my best to try and break through but it was like I was trying to move a mountain.

What came as a complete surprise to both of us was the fact that the floor had weaken during the last attack and was now cracking below our hooves. Before we could do something to stop it, we were suddenly falling down to the bottom. I managed to land on a rock and saw that the Champion had done the same. We both stood there watching to see if the other was going to do something but nothing happen as we continue to make our fall.

**Hope you enjoy this chapter. I might get another one done but I have finals coming up so…yeah all that stuff and all that.**

**Read and Review Please**

**Richer1992**


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